News is the information that tells us about events which are taking place in the world around us. This information may be of interest to us or may affect our lives in some way. It can be about current affairs or local events such as accidents, fires, weather conditions, floods and political happenings. It is important to be aware of the things that are going on in our surroundings so that we can make informed decisions. This information is supplied to us by the media which may be newspapers, radio or television.
When writing an article on News, you need to write about what has happened and include the important facts – what, when, who and where. This will help readers understand the story and be able to make up their own minds about what is going on. It is also important to mention the background to the story – how did it come about and why is it happening.
Most people would agree that News should be interesting as well as informative. However, it is important not to confuse News with Entertainment. It is the job of the media – newspapers, magazines, radio and television – to inform and educate their audiences, not to amuse them. Entertainment comes from other areas such as music and drama on radio and television, cartoons and crosswords in newspapers.
Obviously, what is considered newsworthy will vary from society to society. But there are certain criteria which can be used to judge a story: it must be new, unusual, interesting and significant. It must also be about people. It is not always possible to report on all aspects of a major event in one newspaper so a selection will be made. Usually the big events will be reported first and in more detail. Other stories may be given less space or will be reported in the paper’s inside pages.
The type of information which is presented in a news item will also depend on the audience and where the article will be published. The information must be accurate and verifiable. It is a journalist’s responsibility to verify sources and to give credit where it is due. Whether the information is gained from an interview, court documents or the Census, the source must be clearly identified in the article. Direct quotes should be attributed to their author, but paraphrasing or using names with initials is acceptable. If it is the first time that the name of a person has been used, the full name should be used on all subsequent references. This helps prevent confusion and irritation for the reader. In addition, all paragraphs in a news story should be kept short for clarity and attractiveness. The article should be written in the third person unless there is compelling reason to use the first or second person. It is best to avoid jarring the reader with switches between different persons. This is particularly important in the case of celebrities and politicians.