News is any item of significance or interest that has happened recently and which the reader would like to be informed about. It can also refer to events which have a significant impact on society as a whole. Generally the more serious and important the event or information, the more newsworthy it is.

Unlike straight reporting, where the story is told as it happens, a news feature involves in-depth research on a subject that will be covered in detail. This often takes the form of interviews and extensive research on the background of the topic.

The aim of writing news articles is to inform the public about current affairs/events in a way that is interesting and informative. It is an art form that requires a good deal of skill to write well. To achieve this it is essential that the writer has an in-depth knowledge of a wide range of topics that affect the general population and has a great interest in these subjects.

There are many different kinds of news stories and they cover a broad spectrum of topics. These include;

Crime: Anything that has a criminal overtone, whether it be robbery, murder, car theft or corruption is newsworthy, especially when there are a lot of people involved and the story is very serious.

Money: The stories that are most interesting to readers are those involving large sums of money; fortunes made and lost, compensation claims, bank charges and business closures. It is also very newsworthy if prominent people are involved, as people are interested in what celebrities do and their lives.

Science: All societies are interested in scientific discoveries and developments and want to be updated with the latest inventions, research, experiments and findings. It is also newsworthy if the results of scientific work contradict previous findings or if the discovery will have a major impact on future societies or industry.

Sports: The major sports events and results are always a big draw for newspaper readers, but other sporting events also provide newsworthy material. This can include club and national team successes as well as individual achievements such as medal counts.

Social issues: Generally all societies are concerned about the welfare of their people, so stories that focus on these issues are newsworthy. This includes issues such as housing, education, health, hospitals, unemployment and food prices. It is also newsworthy when prominent people are involved in these issues, as they will be seen as an authority and their opinions are likely to be taken seriously by the audience.

A further factor which influences newsworthiness is whether the story has a strong sense of urgency, has a strong emotional element, provides an unexpected or unusual angle or is considered ‘bad’ or ‘difficult’ to understand and/or live through. All of these factors are important for deciding what to include in a newspaper and how much of it to publish. It is important that newspapers understand the value of these elements and how they operate together to produce newsworthy information in order to keep their audiences engaged with them.