News is information about current events that have a significant impact on the lives of individuals, groups or society as a whole. It can be delivered in a number of formats such as newspaper, radio, television and online. It is often unbiased reporting with the goal of informing the public rather than promoting an agenda. However, opinions and personal viewpoints may be expressed in some cases.
A news story should begin with an interesting and captivating hook, sometimes referred to as a lede. This leads into the nut graph of the article which provides an overview of what is occurring. It should answer the key questions of who, what, when, where and why. It also provides some context for the story such as why it is important or how it will affect people’s lives.
When writing a news article it is important to include lots of details, but be careful not to go overboard. Too much information can be confusing and readers will lose interest. Too little information and the story will be missing a key element. In general, a news article should focus on one main point and have two to three paragraphs of detail supporting that point.
An important aspect of a news story is the inclusion of quotes from people directly involved in the event or those with knowledge of it. These quotes help to add a human face to the story and to make it more relatable to the reader. It is also helpful to have a quote from an authority on the subject or someone who has a differing opinion.
In many societies, it is considered good journalism to aim for objectivity in the way that news stories are presented. However, this can be difficult and is often subjective to the individual reporter. It is also difficult to separate a personal viewpoint from a factual account of an event. Despite these limitations, most journalists try to be objective and provide all sides of a story.
People make the world newsworthy, but so do weather phenomena such as cyclones, floods, droughts and volcanic eruptions. Other natural events which are newsworthy include bush fires and tsunamis. In addition, any disaster which results in loss of life is newsworthy. Crime also makes news, whether it be a road traffic accident, burglary, forgery or murder. The size of the event and its impact determines its news value.
Everyday occurrences rarely make the news, for example, someone waking up, eating breakfast and taking a bus to work. But newsworthy events are those that are new, unusual, interesting or significant. They can be local, national or international. They can affect the lives of ordinary people or affect the stability of a country. It is the skill of journalists to decide what is newsworthy and how to present it. They follow a set of rules or guidelines called news values to do this. These are not necessarily based on market research but on a mixture of experience, judgment and biases.
