News is any information that affects people. This includes stories about war, politics, education, health, the environment, business and fashion, as well as quirky or unusual events. People have been delivering news since ancient times, usually through oral means such as story-telling, but the rise of modern communication methods, such as telephones, radio, TV and the internet, has made it much easier to transport and disseminate.
When writing news articles, it is important to remain impartial and only include factual information in your piece. It is also important to be aware of the audience you are writing for. This will ensure that the information you are conveying is pertinent and relevant to them. It is also important to keep in mind that news can be biased, especially when it comes to political or corporate news. This is because reporters and editors have their own opinions and agendas, which may color the news they present.
There are many different types of news, ranging from hard and soft news to sports news and celebrity news. In general, the more interesting and significant a story is, the more newsworthy it is. A good way to judge the news value of a story is to look at it through the five “Ws”: who, what, where, when and why. It is also important to cite your sources, as this shows that you have done your research and that you are a credible source of information.
The job of the news media, whether it be in print or on television or radio is to inform and educate their readers, listeners and viewers. It is not their job to entertain them, but this doesn’t mean that a story cannot be interesting or amusing. Some examples of entertainment news are a celebrity scandal, an unfolding drama or a funny story.
Writing news articles can be tricky, as the information you are reporting needs to be current and engaging. It is also important to put the most important information first, as this is what the audience will see before they scroll down or lose interest. In print, this is known as writing above the fold. Online, it means placing the most important information on top of the article so that it is immediately visible to your reader.
If you are interviewing a source for your news article, it is best to use their full name and either the initials or last name. It is important to avoid using nicknames or abbreviations as this can jar the reader. In addition, it is important to use a neutral tone when quoting a source and only use quotes that are relevant to the story.
Finally, it is important to avoid writing lengthy or wordy news articles. Readers don’t have the attention span to read news that is too long or complicated. They want to get the information they are looking for quickly and efficiently. This is why many newspaper and television stations will highlight the most important news at the top of the page.