News is the media’s reporting of current and interesting events from all over the world. People listen to and watch news on the radio, on TV or read it in newspapers and magazines. Traditionally trained journalists and other news personnel were the major suppliers of news, but the rise of electronic media means that anyone can become a supplier and gatekeeper of information as well. The Internet makes it easy for anyone to publish news or comment on it. This means that there are a lot of different views being expressed about the same event and it’s important to listen to a wide range of news sources to be able to compare viewpoints.
A lot of what makes news is based on culture and personal preference, but there are some general things that are common to most people who work in the news business or regularly read/watch/listen to it as an audience member. These characteristics include timeliness, drama, consequence, proximity and narrative.
Timeliness is the first criterion for a story to be considered newsworthy. Events that happen at the same time, or in close proximity to each other, tend to make the news. This is especially true if they are significant.
Another criterion is that the news item should be new or unusual. People are interested in things that are different and that they haven’t experienced before. This can be a reason why things like celebrity gossip and fashion shows are such big news.
People are also interested in things that affect them directly. This can be a reason why things such as weather, crop diseases and harvest sizes are considered newsworthy. People want to know what is going to affect them and when.
A good way to judge whether a story is newsworthy or not is to ask yourself if it meets these criteria: It must be new, it must be interesting, it must be significant and it must involve people. However, it’s important to remember that a story about something that happens in a country next door can have just as much impact as something that happens far away from home.
The best way to tell a story that will capture the attention of your audience is to put the most important information at the beginning of the article. This is known as the “inverted pyramid” style of writing and is a tried and tested technique for keeping the reader’s interest. You should then add details and background information in order to give the reader a fuller understanding of the news item. Lastly, you should provide your opinions and commentary in such a way that it doesn’t overwhelm the news item itself. You should write clearly and concisely and avoid using jargon or abbreviations where possible. You should also aim to use a formal tone.