News is information about events, people or places that has been published or broadcast and is relevant to the public. News articles are often written to inform, educate and influence readers about what is going on in the world around them. They may be political, social, economic or cultural in nature and focus on major happenings or events that will impact people. They can also be about personalities, trends or opinions.
News reports can be sourced from a wide range of sources including governments, police, the military and local media. They can be found in print, radio and television or on the Internet. Some people are also able to make their own news through blogs or social media posts.
There are several criteria that a story must meet to be considered as newsworthy. A story is usually considered as newsworthy if it is new, unusual, interesting and significant. It can also be of national or international interest. For example, a coup in your neighbouring country might be very important but it will not necessarily be as big a story as a coup in a developed country that has a worldwide impact.
The first step to writing a news article is finding out the facts about the subject. A good reporter will start by identifying all the key people and events involved. They will then find out as much as they can about the subject and gather evidence to support their claims. When writing a news article it is generally written in the third person using ‘he’,’she’ or ‘it’ and never in the first or second person using ‘I’. The use of names is also common, but it should always be clear who is being referred to.
Once they have gathered all the facts a journalist will write a headline which will catch the attention of readers and encourage them to read the rest of the story. The headline should be clear and concise, written to suit the style of the publication. If the story is being published in a newspaper it will be placed above what is called the fold, the part that can be seen without turning the paper over. This is because it is believed that most readers will only read the stories which are positioned above the fold.
In addition to a headline and lead, there will be a nut graph which explains what the story is about in more detail. This will answer the questions who, what, when, where and why and will place the new developments in context. It will also give the reader an idea of why they should care about the story.
Once the nut graph is complete, the journalist will add some quotes from their sources to give the article a human touch. It is important to choose wisely for these quotes and not to repeat what others have already said. When the news article is finished it will be edited for spelling and grammar, as well as being proofread for consistency and tone of voice.