News is information about the world around us. It is usually current and is reported in the media such as newspapers, radio, television and the internet. It can be about anything from political events to weather reports and sports scores. It is generally considered to be important and is therefore shared and discussed. News can also be about people and what they are doing. It can include crime stories, accidents or even deaths. It can be interesting, exciting or frightening.
When writing a news article, it is important to think about who your audience will be. The article should be geared toward that audience and the information you are sharing should be relevant to them. This demographic may be obvious based on the location of your news site or publication (such as a local newspaper covering Kansas City). It can also be narrowed down further to a specific segment of the population based on the topic. For example, if you are talking about zoning laws, your audience would be commercial developers and realtors.
Depending on your target audience, you will need to decide whether the article should include only facts or also opinions. In general, opinions are not as good for a news article as factual information. However, if the opinion is backed up by facts, then it can add an element of interest to the story.
The most important part of a news article is the headline. It should be catchy and evoke emotion or curiosity. It should also be easy to understand. If it is too complicated or lengthy, the reader will stop reading it before they get to the main news.
Once the headline is set, the next step is to write a summary of the story. This should be in short paragraphs and should highlight the most important aspects of the story. The news should be presented in an inverted pyramid style, with the most important details coming first and less significant detail following as you move down the page. This format is used because it makes the story easier to read.
Other aspects of a news article that can be of interest include:
People and what they are doing:
It is usually people who make the most interesting news. This can be because they are doing something unusual, or because they have made a decision that affects others. Crime: road traffic accidents, break and enters, murders, corruption, forgery and robberies all make news. But even a simple burglary or mugging is newsworthy if it is unusual or sensational.
Money:
A lot of news is about money – who is making millions and who is losing a fortune. It is also about things like food prices, wage rises and the Budget. Even small sums of money can make the news if they are donated to a charity by someone who is not normally wealthy.