News is about events, facts and information which are significant to an audience or the public. It may be a human interest story, or a story about something which affects everyone, such as a disaster or an environmental issue. News stories are often written to entertain, amuse or educate, but they must also be accurate and not prejudiced in any way. People like to know that what they are reading is factual and not just the opinion of someone who wants them to think a particular way.
It can be difficult to find the right balance between what makes for interesting news and what is unbiased enough for readers to make up their own minds on an issue. The key to good journalism is to cover the five Ws – who, what, where, when and why. If you do not have the time to write a full news article on a topic, consider sharing a headline with just the first two or three of those Ws. This will allow readers to quickly understand what is going on and decide if they need more details or to read further.
People are interested in the lives of famous people, and it is newsworthy when these people fall out of favour, get into trouble or lose their wealth. People are also interested in weather, whether it is droughts, floods or storms. Agriculture is important to many people, so stories about planting and harvesting crops are newsworthy. Food prices, wage rises and the economy are all of interest to many people, as are health issues such as traditional remedies, hospitals and clinics.
Some people like to read stories about the arts – music, dancing and theatre as well as cinema and carving – or what is happening in their local communities. Others are interested in what is happening internationally. There are even news aggregation websites which share articles from all over the world, using algorithms instead of humans to curate the stories they display. It is a good idea to use several sources to ensure that you have a wide range of viewpoints and do not only hear one side of the story.
Bias in news and information is a constant concern, but there are ways to reduce it. Many sites give advice on how to avoid confirmation bias, or how to be aware of your own. A good news source will be consistent in reporting accurate, verifiable and documented information which is free from personal bias. A good place to start looking is at online news aggregation websites, such as Google News, which offers access to a wide variety of international sources without having to filter them yourself. Other helpful resources include the BBC’s global news service, which has reporters in all countries and can often be among the first to report on breaking news. Also check out VOX, Refinery29 and Flare’s Explainer series for well-reported, unbiased news articles which help to give context to current events.