News is information about current events, either in the local or global arena. It may be a story about a war, a natural disaster or an accident. It can also be about a politician, a celebrity or the economy. It may be written in newspapers, magazines or radio or on television. News can also be found on the Internet.
When writing news it is important to know your audience. This will dictate the tone and voice of the article. It will also help you to decide what to include in the article. For example if you are writing for an online newspaper you will want to make sure that the most important stories appear above the fold. This is the crease in the paper where people will first see the main stories before they have to scroll down. This is particularly important for websites where readers are likely to be time poor.
The best way to get a balanced picture of what is happening is to read several different newspapers and news sites. Different news outlets have different viewpoints and biases. This is because the journalists and editors will have their own prejudices as to what they think is important and what constitutes a good story. It is therefore impossible to find 100 percent unbiased news.
It is the job of the news media – newspapers, magazines and radio – to inform and educate their audiences. Providing entertainment is a bonus, but not an essential part of the job. The entertainment comes from other areas – music and drama on radio and TV; crosswords and cartoons in newspapers.
National publications focus on events that affect the whole country or region and often cover notable international news. They cater to a wider audience than the local papers and so need to appeal to more people. This means that they are likely to include more stories about sport and other leisure activities.
The Associated Press (AP) is one of the world’s oldest and most respected news agencies. It is not owned by any corporation and does not sell advertising space. It is a not-for-profit organisation that has been around for more than 90 years. Its reputation for unbiased reporting is so well established that many other news organisations cite AP articles as source material.
The Christian Science Monitor is another respected international news outlet. Its stated mission is to hold power to account and drive change through journalism. It is not listed on the AllSides site, but van Zandt believes that it is among the most unbiased of the mainstream news sources. Its stories are often lengthy and in-depth.