News is any information of general interest which has happened recently or is currently occurring. It is the sort of thing that will be reported in newspapers, on radio or TV or via the Internet and it may involve politics, culture, sport or local affairs. News will usually have some kind of a human angle.

In addition to being interesting, news should also be informative and based on facts. A good news story will give a full and accurate account of what has happened and explain why it is significant. It will also have a human touch, such as quotes from involved parties.

An article on a new product or service will be newsworthy if it will benefit the reader in some way, for example by saving them time or money. This is particularly important if the product or service is new, as it will be unfamiliar to readers and they will want to learn more. The announcement of a major project will also be considered newsworthy, as will a change to the workings of an organisation.

The criteria for what makes news vary from one society to another, but there are a few things that are almost always newsworthy. The event must be new, unusual, interesting, significant or about people. It is also important that the event is likely to have an impact on the community in which it occurs.

A cyclone, bush fire, tsunami or hurricane is likely to have much greater significance than the death of a celebrity. People are more interested in hearing about other people than they are in reading about things which happen to computers or cars. This is why news is so often centred on personalities and events that affect a large number of people.

If a journalist wishes to make their piece of news more interesting, they can include photos and video clips. They can also use audio and infographics to add interest to the story. An article that is thought to be a good shareable story on Facebook or Twitter will be given extra prominence.

Depending on the type of news story, the writer might choose to write an opinion piece or a more straight report. An opinion piece is where the writer states their own views on the subject of the article. A straight news story will be factual but not include any opinions.

The headline of a news story is important, as it must be catchy and enticing to read. It should be emotionally evoking and create curiosity about what is contained within the article. It should also reflect the target demographic of the news article. This may be based on geography, such as a newspaper covering Kansas City, or it might be based on the audience of a particular show or podcast. It is generally considered inappropriate for a journalist to inject their own opinion into the story they are writing. It is instead preferable for them to interview sources close to the topic and get their opinions on what has happened.