News is information about current events. It may be reported by word of mouth, in newspapers or magazines, through postal systems, broadcasting or other electronic means. It is often distinguished from “soft” media such as entertainment or music. The information in the news is usually gathered through observation or through testimony by witnesses to events. It is also possible that some news is presented in a biased way to influence the audience, for example by highlighting certain political issues and neglecting others.
The earliest form of news was passed on through word of mouth, but with the development of printing, it became possible to mass produce and distribute news in written form. In the 19th century, news began to be distributed through newspapers, magazines, radio and later television. Eventually, the Internet allowed the distribution of news from all over the world at a fast rate.
A news story is information about something that has happened or will happen, and it needs to be factual and accurate. It should contain the five key elements of a news story: who, what, when, where and why. The more of these elements a story has, the higher its news value.
It is important to have a clear idea of your audience when writing a news article. This will help you to choose the most relevant and interesting facts to include in the article. A good news article will answer the questions that your readers want to know about, such as “what is this about?” and “how does it affect me?”
Local news is of particular interest to people, as it concerns their own community. This can be anything from a celebrity visiting a city to the death of a long-time family member. Local news is often more significant to people than national or international news because it has a direct impact on their daily lives.
Trending stories are those that are causing social upheaval or polarizing opinion, so they are likely to make headlines. These types of stories are usually very important to society and need to be reported, but it is important for the writer to remain objective when writing about them.
People are interested in famous people and what they do, so it is often newsworthy when they fall out of favour, lose money or get into trouble. Health is another subject of interest to many people, so news about hospitals and clinics, new treatments or diseases are widely read. Sex is also a topic of interest, although it is not always discussed openly.
When writing a news story, it is advisable to ask someone else to read it before submitting it for publication. This will give them an opportunity to check that the information in your article is correct and that it does not have any mistakes. This will help to keep your readers happy and ensure that your articles are well written. In addition, you should never publish any news article without a full proof-read by another person.