News is any information that is new, of interest and has recently changed. This information can be of a serious or entertaining nature, and it may concern wars, politics, crime, the economy, social events, weather conditions, fashion, culture, education, health, business, sports, entertainment, or even the financial results of a company.
The information in a news article must be presented without bias and in an objective manner. In order to do this, it is important to know your audience. This will help you determine what kind of tone or language to use and will allow you to put the most important information first. It is also helpful to understand the inverted pyramid structure when writing a news article, as this will help you keep the reader’s attention by giving them the most important information up front.
When deciding what makes for good news, the most important factors are:
1. The newness of the event or information.
2. The extent to which the event or information changes a person’s life.
3. The extent to which the event or information affects a broad segment of society.
4. The importance of the event or information to that segment of society.
5. The fact that the event or information is significant, such as a coup d’etat in one country having a ramification for the stability of another.
The job of the news media – newspapers, radio and television – is to inform and educate their readers, listeners or viewers. While they may provide entertainment through music, drama and crossword puzzles, this is not their primary function.