News is information about current events. It is delivered by journalists who use different media, ranging from word of mouth and printing to postal systems, broadcasting and electronic communication. News articles are written to convey the facts about an event or situation, and not to express the journalist’s opinions or bias. This is known as objectivity. The journalist also has a duty to report only those things that are likely to be of public interest.
It is often difficult to define what constitutes news, especially when a story comes from a country that has a different cultural understanding of the word. However, there are some basic characteristics of news that are understood by everyone who works in the news business or reads and watches it as audience members. These include timeliness, drama and consequence.
Most people like to read and watch news about the world around them. They want to know what is happening in their towns and cities, but also about the wider world. People also like to know how they can improve their lives and make a difference in the world through actions, which is why many people follow politics and environmental news.
People are interested in all kinds of things that affect their daily lives, for example weather, food and transport. This is why it is important for newspapers to keep us up to date with these issues, and to provide information about ways in which we can help.
A lot of the information that makes up a news article is available in the public domain and is freely accessible. However, some is not and must be carefully gathered, verified and checked. It is important for news writers to find the balance between the information that has already been released and the information that requires further research and verification.
It is vital that all the elements of a news article are clear and easy to understand. For this reason it is a good idea to write in short sentences and paragraphs, with clear headlines. Also, the writing style must be appropriate to the medium in which it is being published – for example, newspapers use printed words and pictures, television relies on moving video images and radio on spoken words and sounds.
It is important for the writer of a news story to understand who they are writing it for. Asking questions like what is the average age of the audience, where are they from and why are they reading the news will help the writer to shape their article in a way that will engage the reader and encourage them to continue to read. It is also a good idea to find an angle for the story – what is unique about this piece of news that you can highlight? This will help the writer to stand out from other news stories that may be published at the same time. Also, it is a good idea to get the facts right, and this means checking that any quotes used are correct.