News is information about events, both current and past. It may be about politics, wars, crime, education, fashion, health, the economy, business or sport. It can also be about natural disasters or quirky or unusual events. News can be transmitted through oral means, or written in books, newspapers, magazines or the internet. People have been sharing information about the world since ancient times. The internet has made it easier for this news to spread faster and to a wider audience. Some people are known to be biased in their reporting or personal opinions, so it is important to check your sources carefully and to read multiple articles on the same subject before making up your mind about what is true.
A good headline will catch the reader’s attention and make them want to read the article. It should give a brief overview of the main points in the article and be clearly written and informative. The article itself should not contain any personal opinions, but rather present facts from research and quotes from people who have been involved. It is also important to write the article in an appropriate tone and style for the intended audience. For example, a news story for a broad general newspaper should be more factual and informative than a news story for a magazine targeted at a specific community or interest group.
It is important to remember that the job of the media – newspapers, radio or TV – is to inform, not entertain. Providing entertainment is the responsibility of other departments within the media – music and drama on radio or television, cartoons or crosswords in newspapers.
What makes a story newsworthy?
The main criteria for something to be newsworthy is that it should be interesting, significant or unusual. An ordinary day-to-day event does not make news – for example, someone waking up, having breakfast and going to work on the bus. However, if that same person was the president of a country or the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church and they both said the same thing about women priests then that would be newsworthy.
Other things that are often newsworthy include weather, crops, food shortages or gluts, disease, medical breakthroughs, hospitals and clinics. Stories about famous people – their achievements, scandals or falls from grace – are often of interest.
More in-depth news stories can be found on the pages near the back of a newspaper, or in special sections such as business and features. These are normally based on detailed research into a topic and are usually free of bias. However, even these can be misleading if they are not checked carefully.
