News is information about current events that people share through word of mouth, printed media, broadcasting systems or other electronic communication. Its main function is to keep the public informed about what is happening locally, nationally and internationally. It can also provide insight into social and cultural issues and help explain complex topics.
News stories are usually reported in chronological order, placing the most important information at the top of the story. This is known as the inverted pyramid style of writing, and it is often employed when writing for newspapers or online. For example, if a story is about a natural disaster, this would appear at the top of the newspaper or on a web page so that it is the first thing that people see.
When deciding what to write about in your news article, you should know who your audience is and what kind of information they want. This will dictate the tone and style of your article. It will also help you decide what information to include and what not to include. For example, a story about an election may be of interest to local residents, but it would not be of interest to people from other countries.
A news article should always start with a headline that is short and concise. It should use Associated Press style guidelines unless your publication specifies something different. The headline should be followed by a byline which is the author’s name. It is important to include the date, time and location of the event in the headline, as this will help readers identify the article and determine whether or not it is something they want to read.
The next section of a news article is the lead, which provides a preview of the rest of the article. This should be brief and provide the most important facts about the story. This section is particularly important for newspapers because it will be what draws in the reader and determines if they will continue reading.
Once you have written your lead, it is a good idea to have someone else read it, especially if the person is an editor. They will be able to spot spelling and grammatical errors that you might have missed, and they can also help you cut down long sections or simplify awkward sentences. It is also a good idea to have your editor read the entire piece, as they can give you some feedback on the overall strength of the news article.
To be considered newsworthy, an event must meet the following criteria: It must be new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. A man waking up, eating breakfast and taking the bus to work does not make very much news at all, but a coup d’état in the country next door is very big news indeed. The fact that a new book by a famous author has just been published is interesting, but not necessarily significant or surprising enough to be newsworthy.
