News is information about current events, obtained quickly and accurately from everywhere and communicated to the public. It should be free of opinion and bias. It includes everything that affects the daily life of people, their health, their happiness and their future. It may be televised, written in newspapers or books, broadcast over radio, posted on the Internet, or yelled across a classroom.
To write a news article, one must research the topic extensively. This can be done by interviewing people who are familiar with the subject or who have experienced it firsthand. It is important to cite your sources when writing news, so as not to misrepresent the information that you are reporting on.
Once the research is complete, the writer must outline the article. Following the upside-down pyramid format is recommended, as it helps with the organization of the information. The most important facts should be listed at the top of the outline, followed by less-important information. After all of the main facts are outlined, supplemental details can be added to fill out the information for readers. This can include contact information, additional facts, quotes from interviews, or opinions from the opposition.
It is important to know the audience when composing a news article. The target demographic will often be obvious, based on the location of the publication or website. For example, a story about an event in Kansas City would be geared toward people living there or those who are interested in the city’s culture. Other times, the audience can be narrowed down based on the content of the article.
For instance, a person who takes a bus for work every day will be more interested in a story about the driver’s accomplishments and dedication over 25 years than they would in a profile of a corporate executive who just received an award. This is because the bus driver is a familiar face and has touched many lives over the years.
The classic definition of news is “dog bites man,” but it is not so simple in reality. Whether something is newsworthy depends on what society expects of people. For example, a person eating insects may be considered newsworthy in some societies, but not in others. Then there is the question of what is unusual. If a bug destroys the crops of a farmer, it is newsworthy, but not if the insect is normal.
Another important factor to consider is timing. It is not newsworthy to report on an event that happened a week ago. A more pressing issue would be the impact of a hurricane or other natural disaster that is occurring immediately. A well-written news article should be brief, concise and interesting. Readers will be turned off if they are forced to read long paragraphs of information that do not have an immediate effect on their lives. In the age of 24-hour television and the Internet, it is crucial to keep news articles short and to the point.