News is current affairs, events and stories that are reported on in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. It can include anything from the death of a celebrity to a political crisis or natural disaster. News articles provide the information people need to know about the world around them and often help them form opinions on the issues that affect them. News articles can also be written to promote a company or product, such as a new line of shoes or a restaurant opening. These types of articles should still be written in an objective tone and contain enough facts to make them worthwhile for the reader.
The first step in writing a news article is to write a headline that is both attention grabbing and informative. This should be brief and set the tone of the article, for example ‘Major earthquake rocks Japan’ or ‘Dr Jones uses this equipment to study malaria’. The next step is to write the lead, which is a paragraph that sums up the main points of the news article. This should be concise and clear, so the reader can decide whether to continue reading or not. Finally, the article should end with a strong concluding sentence that restates the leading statement or gives an indication of what might happen in the future.
Many factors can make an event newsworthy, for example; impact, proximity, controversy, prominence and currency. However, the most important factor is whether the news is relevant to the audience and what they need or want to know about it. For instance, the local government approving a development may not be newsworthy on its own, but if it affects the community’s quality of life then it becomes interesting.
The way in which a news story is presented can also be influential, for example a news article that includes sex, showbiz or sport may attract more readers than one that is merely informative. However, all sources of news are bound by their own biases and will never be completely unbiased. It is therefore essential to understand what these biases are in order to judge the reliability of a news source.
As a general rule, most news stories are about people, as they are the ones who change the world and have the greatest impact on our lives. However, some non-human events can also be newsworthy, for example a major flood or an eruption of a volcano. This type of news is more likely to appear on the front page of a newspaper or at the top of a TV or online news bulletin. This is because it has the potential to influence most people directly and immediately. It is also the most likely to provoke an emotional response in people, for example anger or fear.
