News is information about current events. It may be communicated orally, through written documents or through other media such as radio or television. It is usually presented as factual but sometimes it can contain opinions. People are interested in the news because it relates to their lives and concerns. It is important that the news is accurate and not biased.
People want to know what is happening in their own country and around the world. They want to know about wars, natural disasters and other major political or economic events. They also want to know about local events that affect them, such as traffic problems or crime. The news should be presented in a way that is easy to understand. It is often helpful to break the news down into its component parts, answering the questions ‘what, when, who, where and why’. This is a good technique for other kinds of writing too, such as essays or short stories.
Journalists make judgements about what is newsworthy. They will decide whether a story is big enough to be front page news, significant enough for the headlines or worthy of a full article in their paper or magazine. They will consider what other people think about the story and how important it is to society. They will then try to find out as much as they can about the subject and write it down.
The story must be new, unusual, interesting or significant and it must relate to people. It is also important that it is not too controversial. If it is too controversial, it might not get printed or broadcasted at all.
It is also important that the story is well written and not boring. It is a good idea to use short sentences and paragraphs, and to avoid using too many adjectives or adverbs. It is also best to use third person pronouns, like ‘he’,’she’, ‘it’ or ‘they’, rather than first person pronouns such as ‘I’. Journalists also try to avoid expressing their own opinions in the news, which is known as objectivity.
Some things are always newsworthy, such as a fire, an accident or a murder. Other things are newsworthy only if they are unusual or dramatic. For example, if someone falls off the Eiffel Tower, it is very likely to be front page news. But if the same person falls off a ladder at home, it is not likely to be newsworthy.
People are also interested in the lives of famous people. They want to know what they do and how they look. They are also interested in health news – for example, traditional remedies, medical research and diseases. Finally, people are interested in the weather, and how it may impact on their daily lives. They are also interested in money stories, such as business success, salary rises and compensation claims. They are also interested in food and drink, e.g. the price of oil, wheat and fruit; and in leisure activities such as music, dance and theatre.