News is information about current events that is presented to the public through a variety of media, such as newspapers, magazines, radio and television. It also includes information from witnesses and other people involved in the events or happenings.
The word “news” is derived from the French, meaning “to break”. It has been used to describe information about new and unknown things for many centuries. The term has become more common in recent years as technology and social developments have increased the speed with which information can travel.
When selecting the stories that you report, think about these five criteria: 1. It is new and unusual; 2. It is interesting; 3. It is significant; 4. It is about people; 5. It has an impact on the reader.
Almost all stories are about people, because the events that people cause to change the world are of interest. They may be local, national or international.
However, some news events are more interesting than others. What are the most interesting things that have happened in your town – a girl going to university, a man marrying a girl or a car killing a chicken, pig or child?
It may be hard to decide what is the most newsworthy event, so it is important to think about your audience. Do you want to tell the world about a small local event or do you want to focus on something big and national?
The most important thing is to write something that your readers will want to read. It is very easy to lose readers if your story is jargonous or full of cliches and clichéd phrases.
If you are writing a report on a local news event, it is especially important to get the details right. The first paragraph must contain the most important facts, and you can add more detail as the article progresses. This is called the inverted pyramid and it will help your readers to understand the story and keep reading.
Using the active voice when reporting news makes it easier to tell what ‘WHO’ did what and who was involved in the events. This can make the article more exciting and informative for your readers.
Always identify a person by their full first name or both initials in the first reference. This will help your readers to know who you are talking about and avoid jargon that they won’t be familiar with.
A newspaper or magazine can be a good place to find the names of famous people because it will give you an idea about what they do and what they look like. It is a good idea to include quotes from these people in your article.
If you are writing a news story for an online newspaper, you need to ensure that you include accurate facts. This will help your readers to know that they are reading the real thing and will increase their trust in you as a reliable source of information.