News is the information that you hear on TV, read in a newspaper or magazine, or see online. The news you hear or read is often something that has recently happened or the latest information about a happening. It could be a political event, an accident or a natural disaster. News also includes a variety of other subjects, such as the weather or sports.
When you write a news article, it’s important to think about your audience. This will help you determine the best way to convey the story to your readers. Consider questions such as: What is the target age group for this article? Where is the audience located, locally or nationally? What is the purpose of this news article – to inform or to entertain? This will help you decide how to format the article and what details are most important.
A good headline will grab the attention of your reader and set the tone for the rest of the story. It should be short, clear and direct. Often, the headline is written by someone else on the staff of your publication, but you can also do this yourself. Use the Associated Press style guidelines for headlines unless your publication specifies something different.
The main facts of a news article should be listed in the first paragraph or two, along with your byline (the name under which you wrote the article). This will help readers decide whether they want to continue reading. You can add additional facts in the following paragraphs or include a quote from an expert in the subject matter.
You’ll find that events that make the news are typically ones that have a significant effect on a large number of people. This might be a national crisis, such as a terrorist attack, or an environmental catastrophe that affects many areas at once. In addition, you’ll often hear or see news about someone achieving something spectacular or doing something remarkable. For example, Olympic athletes that win medals after overcoming tremendous personal or physical obstacles are often the subject of a news story.
Timeliness is another key factor in determining news. Whether it’s what happens on the first day of school or a celebrity going public with his sexual orientation, the news you hear and see will usually be something that has happened within the past 24 hours, or at most about a week or less.
Ultimately, what is considered news depends on the judgment of people who work for a particular news media organization. Depending on the medium, these people are called editors, news directors or even news managers. They sift through recommendations from reporters, assistant editors and other employees to decide what will be reported. Their decisions may be based on familiarity and geography, the importance of an event or issue and even the amount of drama involved. For a more in-depth look at the topic of News, there are books and websites that explore it in greater detail.