News is information about a recent event or a story that has happened. It is reported by a variety of sources, including newspapers, radio and television. Traditionally, News was only available in print form, but the growth of the Internet has led to new sources of information becoming available, such as news aggregators and websites that collect stories from a range of sources.
The purpose of News is to inform and educate. It is not to entertain, although it may amuse in a small way. It is the job of other media to provide entertainment – drama and music on the radio, for example, or cartoons and crosswords in the newspaper. If an event is particularly unusual, interesting or significant, then it will be newsworthy. An example would be the assassination of a politician, although it could also be an earthquake or a meteorite landing on a city.
A good journalist will ask the right questions at the scene to gather as much information as possible. This will help to ensure that the final article is as accurate and as complete as possible. The five Ws – who, what, where, when and why – are the key elements to consider when gathering and writing news.
Detailed descriptions of an event are often more interesting than the headline alone. However, description for its own sake is often boring and uninformative, so the writer should be careful not to overload the article with details. A story is often more meaningful if it can be placed in some sort of context, for example by comparing it to similar events that have occurred before. This will help to give the reader some background information about the subject and will allow them to draw their own conclusions from it.
It is important to remember that while some people will want to read news with a particular view in mind, others will just want the facts. This is why it is important to be unbiased in your reporting. It is equally important not to be negative or positive in your tone as this can also detract from the credibility of the article.
A good journalist will always try to write a news article that is accessible to as many people as possible. This means avoiding jargon and using words that are easily understood. It is also important to avoid cliches as they are usually very unoriginal and do not evoke any sort of reaction from readers. If readers have to work hard to understand what you are trying to say, then they will likely lose interest very quickly and may not return to your website or newspaper in future. For this reason, it is a good idea to proofread your articles thoroughly before publishing them.