News is current events that are reported on in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. The main purpose of news is to inform and educate, as well as entertain. The entertainment can come from other areas – music and drama programmes on radio, cartoons in the newspaper and so on. The information that is presented in the news is based on events that affect the population of a nation or the world, but it can also be something as simple as a new product being launched.
A news story can contain any of the following elements: People, Unusual, Interesting, Significant and Timely. The more of these the better the news.
People usually make the news because they are doing something unusual, interesting or significant. A man waking up, eating breakfast and going to work on the bus is not news, but a man in his 90s still catching the bus is news!
Unusual means that the event has not happened before. A cyclone, bush fire, drought or volcanic eruption are all unusual. However, something that has happened before but has not been reported on is also unusual – for example, the death of a famous person or politician is news because it has never before been reported.
Something that is significant can be a major event, a political scandal or a celebrity scandal. It could also be something that changes the way we live our lives or a new law being passed. If something is significant and important it will affect everyone, so it is worth talking about.
Some events are not newsworthy because they are either too ordinary or too old. For instance, a man getting up and making breakfast or going to work are not newsworthy because they happen every day. But if something happens that is unexpected, it will be newsworthy, such as a meteor hitting the earth and causing a tsunami.
Keeping up with the news can be very beneficial, it allows us to be aware of what is happening in the world around us and can help improve our critical thinking skills. However, it is important to read the news critically and be wary of ‘clickbait’ articles that may not be factual or have been manipulated by the media.
If you are writing a news article, it is a good idea to get someone else to read it, to check that the facts are correct and that the article is well written. This will also give you another perspective and help to spot any mistakes that you may have overlooked. It is also a good idea to read a few different news sources so that you have a range of opinions. You can also learn about different countries and their culture by reading the news. It is also good to know about the current world economy, politics and other things that are going on in the world so that you can talk intelligently when a topic comes up in conversation.