News is an event, or series of events, that happen in the world. It can be about politics, wars, business, crime, natural disasters and many more. People are interested in News because it gives them information about the world around them. It also allows them to learn about other cultures and countries. News may be reported in a newspaper, magazine or on television or the internet.
A good News article will contain the main facts and information about the subject in a short space of time. It should then have a conclusion that restates the leading statement and often provides additional information about how this issue will likely affect people in the future. It can also include a list of people involved in the event, any additional information such as contact details or quotes from those who have been interviewed and any potential follow up to the topic.
It is important to note that the main purpose of a News article is to inform, not entertain. Although some news stories do have an element of humour, it is more common for entertainment to come from other sources such as music and drama programmes on radio or TV or cartoons and crosswords in newspapers.
The most important criteria in deciding whether something is newsworthy are: new, unusual, interesting and significant. It is also important to consider the audience’s need to know about the event or subject. For example, if an event is important to the local community it will be of more interest than one which happens in a far away country.
Other factors that determine newsworthiness are the impact, magnitude and societal relevance. For example, a political coup in a neighbouring country would be a major news story and is likely to have an impact on the local community, whereas a murder in a town is not likely to affect anyone outside of the victims family. Another factor is the impact that an event will have if it does occur, for example a flood or hurricane will have a much greater impact than a drought or earthquake.
Finally, a news item will be of interest to readers if it has a sense of ‘urgency’, for example a terrorist attack or an approaching storm. News which is not urgent is unlikely to be published or broadcast as it is not likely to be of interest to the majority of the readership or audience.
The nature of News has changed in recent years, with social media becoming an increasingly important source for disseminating and sharing News. It is now more difficult than ever to control the message and there are many more ways for people to receive news. It is therefore important for journalists to be aware of the effect that their choices of news stories and methods of publication can have on the audience. Despite this, it is still possible for the press to be a source of information which is considered objective and impartial.