News is information about important or significant events that occur in a country or organisation. It is usually reported in newspapers and broadcast by television and radio. It is also a feature of some websites. News can be serious or lighthearted and often contains the latest updates and developments. It may also contain analysis of a topic or issue and sometimes includes the opinions of experts. It can be used to inform, educate or entertain its audience and is usually of interest to a wide range of people.
Generally, news must be new, unusual, interesting or significant, or about people, to qualify as newsworthy. Events which happen every day or week can still be newsworthy if they are described in an unexpected way. For example, if a famous person goes bankrupt, this could be newsworthy even though it has happened many times before. The same is true for events which are known about but have never been revealed before, such as the discovery of a previously unknown meteorite on Mars.
Some events are automatically newsworthy, such as wars and natural disasters, but the content of other stories can vary from society to society. A girl going to university, for example, is a piece of newsworthy information in one society but not in another. Likewise, a man eating a dog will be newsworthy to some but not others.
In addition to the criteria of newness, interestingness or significance, news is also judged on its impact, whether it affects a large number of people or is an important event. In this case, a story will have more impact if it is controversial or shocking, and if it has implications for the future.
News is a major source of information for many people and can influence their behaviour and opinions. It is therefore important that it should be accurate and balanced. Ideally, news articles should provide sufficient information so that readers can form their own opinions about the topic.
When writing a news article, it is good practice to start with a strong opening paragraph which catches the reader’s attention. This is referred to as the lede and should include an exciting or dramatic anecdote or a surprising fact. The following paragraphs should then build on the lead, answering the questions who, what, when, where and why. Finally, a concluding paragraph should restate the lead and imply possible future developments in the story. In addition, journalists should always check their facts and avoid sensationalism.
