News is information about events that are of public interest, such as war, political upheaval, accidents, natural disasters, discoveries and sport. It can also refer to a periodical publication containing such information, including newspapers and magazines.
A news article must be impartial and report facts relating to the topic. It should be written in an interesting way to keep the reader’s attention. A good article will have a clear lead-in to the topic, and it should have a strong conclusion, which may be a restatement of the leading line or one which indicates future developments relating to the subject. A well-written news article will include quotes from people who have a direct interest in the event, and it should be based on thorough research.
News articles are often geared toward a specific demographic. Depending on the topic, this can be as narrow as geographic region (such as a story about an event in Kansas City) or it can be more generalized, such as stories about children’s health or business trends. It is important to understand your audience when writing news, because if you write an article which does not appeal to them, they will not read it and will probably not recommend it to others.
Traditionally, news has been transmitted from person to person by word of mouth, but the development of communication and espionage networks has increased the speed at which information can spread. Modern means of transporting news include newspapers, radio and television. The internet has also increased the speed and scope of news dissemination, but it is not yet a replacement for printed media.
The news that is most attractive to readers relates to people and events which affect them directly, especially those of great magnitude. A man catching the bus to work does not make good news, but a plane crash which threatens hundreds of thousands of lives is very exciting and will attract large audiences. People’s fascination with celebrities and the things they do is another factor which generates a lot of news, particularly when these people are involved in scandal or have made big fortunes.
Events relating to money and business are also of major interest, as are those that affect the environment. The smallest sums of money can become newsworthy, as for example, a little girl giving ten cents to a fund-raising event is more interesting than the businessman who gives $100. In addition, stories involving sex or other topics that go against society’s generally accepted standards often become newsworthy.
It is impossible to define what exactly makes a good news story, but it can be said that the best ones are new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. Those are the criteria which journalists use when selecting news items for their publications. The same criteria apply to the selection of a news item for broadcast on radio and TV.