News, also known as ‘information’, is information conveyed through the media about events and issues that matter to people. It can be about anything from the latest celebrity sighting to a major disaster that’s affecting many people.
It can be delivered through newspapers, magazines, radio or television. Some newspapers and TV stations are free to watch or listen to, but most rely on advertisers to pay for their content.
Often, the news is presented as factual and objective. Journalists cross check news stories to ensure that they’re accurate, fair and without bias. They may also use facts, statistics and opinions from outside sources as evidence for their claims.
They may also interview people who have first-hand knowledge of a situation. They might take photos or video.
The purpose of news is to inform, entertain and enlighten. It is also to convey information about current events and developments in society.
To produce quality news, writers must research their topics extensively and present them in a way that is compelling to readers. In addition, they should write their articles in a formal tone that is appropriate for their audience.
A good news story must grab and hook the reader immediately with a well-written headline that explains the topic in a few words, while seizing their attention and capturing their interest. The article should then move smoothly to cover the relevant facts and figures in a concise and detailed fashion.
There are some basic characteristics that all news organizations and their audiences share: timeliness, drama, consequence, proximity and narrative. Some of these characteristics, such as timeliness and drama, are more important for online news than they are for print news, while consequences and proximity are more important for TV and radio (Thurman and Myllylahti 2009; Phillips 2012).
Other features that can make a story newsworthy include exclusivity, bad news, conflict and surprise.
When something happens that has an impact on a large number of people, it will be picked up by the gatekeepers at the local newspaper, television station, and radio station in your area. This means that a school fire will be covered by the local paper, and it will probably get live interviews with firefighters, neighbors, and possibly even the school principal.
While news can be written about almost anything, it tends to be more interesting to readers when it focuses on things that are happening in their community. For example, a story about a baby tiger walking to school can be more interesting to readers than a news story about a sex scandal, because it speaks to larger themes and issues such as animal protection.