News is information about current events. It is published in various media such as newspapers, magazines, radio and television. It can also be found on the Internet. The information in a news article usually comes from the press, but it may also come from other sources such as witnesses and officials. The information can be about a variety of topics, from politics to sports to celebrity gossip. The aim of news is to inform and educate people. It can also entertain them. For example, news about a famous person’s death or marriage can be very exciting. The information in a news report is gathered by reporters and edited for publication.
A lot of things happen in the world every day, but they do not all make news. Something has to be unusual for it to become news. For example, a man walking to work or taking the bus does not make news; it is ordinary and everyday. But if that same man is 90 years old and still takes the bus to work, then it becomes news.
When deciding what to include in a news story, journalists use several criteria to evaluate potential stories. These criteria include timeliness, impact and prominence. In addition to these, there are other factors which influence what makes news such as:
Often, the first thing to do when writing a news story is to gather all the relevant facts and information about the topic. It is then necessary to arrange the facts into an inverted pyramid structure with the most important points at the top and less important details at the bottom. Once this is done, a snappy headline is needed to grab readers’ attention.
Once the main facts are established, other details can be included such as quotes from people who are close to the event or have expert knowledge of the subject. If possible, these should be sourced from a variety of different individuals to provide a more well-rounded picture. It is also helpful to add a visual element to the news story to help readers understand what is happening. This can be done by including photographs, charts or diagrams.
It is important to remember that although the purpose of news is to inform and educate, it is also a form of entertainment. This is especially true for news aimed at younger audiences. For this reason, it is important that humour and entertainment is injected into news stories where appropriate. This can be achieved through a variety of means such as witty headlines or cartoons. In addition to this, it is also helpful for news writers to add a touch of glamour or intrigue to their stories by using a picture or video to grab the audience’s attention. This can be done by using a high profile individual as the lead figure in the story or by showing footage from an exclusive interview. By doing this, the news writer is able to stand out from other sources of news and gain an advantage in terms of readership or shareability.