News is information about events which are important to a particular audience. It can be delivered orally, in writing (newspapers and magazines), on radio or TV, or by online channels such as the internet. It is usually current, and aims to be accurate. It also aims to entertain and educate.
The most common topic for news is politics, but war, weather, natural disasters and celebrity news are often included in the mix. Many people also find religion and business news interesting. The content of news is typically gathered and reported by journalists, but it is often influenced by market research conducted by the media organisation and its advertisers.
To be a good news story, it should be new, unusual, interesting and significant. It should be about people – and it should be about something that will affect the future. For example, a coup in the next country may be a big news story, but it’s less important than a coup in your own country because it will not affect your own daily life.
The first sentence or paragraph of a news article is called the lead, and should be written to draw the reader in. The lead should include many of the article’s basic facts – for example, who, what, where and when. It should also contain a few quotes from sources which show the writer’s opinion of the event. Ideally, the lead should be written using AP style guidelines, as this will save other members of the publication staff time!