News is the aggregation and dissemination of information about events that affect the public. It may be written, spoken, broadcast or presented in a visual format. News provides citizens with a window into the world around them and can influence their opinions and beliefs. Generally speaking, news should be impartial and accurate. The guiding principles for news include being timely, providing context, and being objective.
News has become a global business with multinational media corporations and state-owned international outlets competing for the attention of the public. The most popular forms of news include radio, television and the internet. The internet allows people from all over the world to access news and information from a variety of sources. Increasingly, people are using social media to communicate and share their views about current affairs.
The earliest forms of news were oral or written accounts of a specific event or development. These could be as simple as a recount of the day’s events to a friend or colleague, or they might take the form of an official report such as that produced by a government commission. As time went on, it became possible to record news in the form of audio and video. This led to the creation of radio and later television which could be broadcast to a wide audience.
Writing a news article is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. The key to a good piece is to ensure that it contains the five main points which journalists refer to as the ‘who, what, where, when and why’. It also needs to be interesting, significant and about people.
A well-written news article is clear and concise, with no jargon or excessive words. It also has a hook at the beginning to grab the reader’s interest, such as a dramatic or controversial statement. It is often a good idea to use quotes from the relevant people involved in a story. This adds credibility and an element of realism. However, it is important to verify the authenticity of these quotes before putting them in an article.
It is often the case that people will be interested in an issue which concerns them directly, such as a pest infestation which threatens their crops. Similarly, they will be interested in news stories about famous people such as celebrities, politicians or sports personalities. This is especially true when these figures are in the news for negative reasons such as scandals or personal problems. People are also interested in health issues and in particular, the way that diseases, hospitals and clinics operate and drugs are administered. Lastly, all societies are interested in sex and news relating to this subject can be of particular interest.
Many newspapers and magazines have a strict code of ethics for their journalists, which dictate how news should be reported and what sort of tone is acceptable. This is in part to protect the interests of their readers and viewers, but also because they want to maintain a high standard of journalism and be seen as an impartial source of information.
