News is anything that has happened, or will happen, that affects people. It is usually about human events and activities, but can also be about non-human events. News may be published in a variety of ways, including newspaper articles, television and radio shows, and the Internet. The main function of news is to inform and educate people about the world around them. It can also provide entertainment.
There are many theories about what makes a story newsworthy. One theory is the “Mirror Model,” which states that news should reflect reality. This means that news should be accurate and focused on particular events. Another theory is the Bargaining Model, which states that news should represent the ideological biases of the people who are producing it.
A good news story will start with a catchy and attention-grabbing headline. This is called the lede, and it should include a dramatic anecdote, a surprising fact, or an important breaking news update. The lead should grab the reader’s attention and make them want to read more. A good lede will also answer the questions who, what, where, when and why.
Once you have a lede, you need to develop a nut graph – the summary of the story. This should be brief, but it should include all the facts that the readers need to know to understand the article. A nut graph is a key element of any news story, and it will help the readers to grasp the meaning of the article.
The next step is to find the appropriate sources for your article. Be sure to cite them correctly, as this will be important for your credibility. You can also use quotes from experts or other knowledgeable people to add depth to the article. However, be careful not to overuse quotations, as this can make the article sound stale.
When you’ve finished researching your topic, it’s time to write the article. The best way to do this is by following the upside-down pyramid format. This will help you stay on track and keep the article organized. Once you’ve written the first draft, be sure to proofread it carefully. Then, revise it and rewrite it to improve it.
It is important to remember that it is the job of the news media – newspapers, radio and television – to inform, not entertain. The entertainment should come from other areas – music and drama on the radio; cartoons and crosswords in the newspapers.
As the times and the media have changed since Galtung and Ruge’s original study, new theories on news values have developed. Brighton and Foy, for example, have proposed a set of criteria for determining what is newsworthy: Relevance; Unusualness; Worth; External influences; and Timing. These factors can be combined to form a newsworthiness matrix. This matrix can be used to identify the most likely newsworthy stories and to explain why some stories are selected and others rejected.