What Is News?

News is current and interesting information obtained from every moment and everywhere and delivered to the public in a fast way. It is a form of communication that is essential for all societies. It is the information that helps people make decisions about their lives and the world around them. News is also an important part of democracy as it allows citizens to maintain an informed citizenry.

There are many different definitions of what is news, and these definitions can differ from society to society. However, some of the most common news values include:

Exclusivity: Stories generated or available first to the news organisation, including letters, investigations, polls and surveys. Magnitude: Stories that are perceived to be significant either in the numbers of people involved or in their potential impact. Controversy: Stories involving conflict such as arguments, splits, strikes and warfare. Bad news: Stories with particularly negative overtones, such as death, injury and defeat. Good news: Stories with positive overtones, such as rescues and cures. Surprise: Stories that have an element of contrast or the unusual about them. Audio-visuals: Stories containing arresting photographs, video and audio. Shareability: Stories that are thought likely to generate sharing and comments via social media.

Writing a news article requires a lot of research and organization. It is a process that involves outlining all of the key facts of an event or situation and then filling in any additional information that would be helpful for the reader. This additional information could be contact details for anyone interviewed, or it might simply be a list of links to other related articles on the subject.

When writing a news article, it is important to keep in mind the demographic for whom you are writing. While market research can help you determine the type of information that your audience wants to read, it is up to the journalist to decide what that information should be and how it should be presented.

Once you have the basic facts of the story, it is then a matter of finding ways to make them more interesting and appealing. This can be done through adding quotes from those directly affected by the event, incorporating interesting statistics or providing an alternative viewpoint on the issue. It is also a good idea to use active voice rather than passive voice in your article (e.g. ‘Dr Jones used this equipment to study malaria’ rather than ‘Malaria was studied using this equipment’).

Lastly, it is always worth reminding yourself that a news article is not meant to be exhaustive; instead, it is a brief overview of events that are important or noteworthy. In addition, there are often many different angles on any given subject and it is a matter of choosing which ones to focus on. All of this can be very difficult, especially in the face of a deadline! However, by keeping these tips in mind, you can create a news article that is both informative and interesting.