News is information about current events, such as wars, politics, health, business, celebrity, weather, sports and the environment. It is often written by professional journalists for publications with a wide readership. It can also be found on television and radio. The Internet and social media allow news to be spread quickly to a large audience. However, this can also lead to the dissemination of false or unsubstantiated information. As a result, it is important to verify claims made in News articles.
A good news article will contain all the main points of an event in a clear and concise manner. The article should begin with a compelling headline which grabs the readers attention and provides a preview of the news story. This is called the lead and it will usually contain the five Ws: who, what, when, where and why. The lead is particularly important because it will determine whether the rest of the article will be read or ignored.
The article will then describe the event, focusing on the most significant details and avoiding redundancies. It should include quotes from people who have direct knowledge of the event, especially if the information is significant or unusual. The journalist should always ask for permission to use quotes and to credit the source, if applicable. If a journalist writes in the first person, they should use their full name or initials rather than just a first name. This avoids confusion for readers who may not be familiar with the individual’s name.
A news article should then move on to the “nut graph”, which explains the background, history or significance of the new development and why it is important. This part of the article may take several paragraphs, but it will explain the big picture and provide context for the new information. It will also explain how the information was gathered and why it is relevant at this time.
The final paragraphs of a news article will typically be a summary of the key facts and a call to action, if appropriate. They will then end with a date or timeline of the event and the names of any organizations involved. The article will be signed by the author, if appropriate. With the speed of information travel on the Internet, it is becoming increasingly important to verify claims in News articles before sharing them on social media or forwarding them to friends and family. It is also a good idea to seek out multiple sources of information about an event and to consider different viewpoints on it. In doing so, it is possible to separate fact from opinion and make more informed decisions about what to believe and share. This will help reduce the number of false or unsubstantiated stories that circulate on the web.
