News is information about current events. It can be communicated through many different media including word of mouth, print, postal systems, broadcasting and electronic communication. The content of news varies widely from society to society and may be influenced by the culture in which a person lives. Some examples of news include war, government, politics, education, the economy, health and entertainment.
Traditionally, newspapers and other media have reported news. However, in the 21st century, a growing number of citizens are also producing their own news through social networking sites. This phenomenon is called citizen journalism. In addition, it is relatively easy for anyone to produce a website and upload videos or audio clips of news events to the Internet. This has led to an increase in the amount of news available to the public.
The first step in writing a news article is to identify the main points of the story. This is often done by asking the five W questions: who, what, when, where and why. Then, gather additional facts to support the main point. These may be quotes from those involved in the event or opinions from experts in the field. These are called supporting details and can add a great deal of interest to an article.
Once you have a good grasp of the main points of the story, you can start to develop the nut graph. This is a paragraph or two that gives the big picture of what is going on. It should explain why this news is important and how it might affect people. It is a good idea to use a dramatic anecdote or surprising fact to grab the reader’s attention.
After the nut graph, write the body of the news story. This should describe the event in as much detail as possible. Include all the relevant facts about the event, including how it happened and what is being done about it. It is also a good idea to include any related information that might be interesting to the reader, such as contact details or additional facts about the topic or people involved.
A good news article will not only inform readers, but will also entertain them. While a lot of news stories are serious, many also take a light-hearted look at current events. This is known as soft news and can be very effective in grabbing the audience’s attention.
It is a common misconception that only “breaking news” is considered to be newsworthy. This is incorrect, as even things that have occurred before can be newsworthy if they are reported for the first time. For example, the assassination of Mrs Gandhi would not be newsworthy if it had not been previously reported, but the discovery that some of the details of her murder were not previously known would be newsworthy. This is because the information is new to the audience. Similarly, something that has been reported before can still be newsworthy if it is an important development or a significant change.