News is information about current events that is reported in newspapers and other media. It is a source of information about world, national and local events and also contains opinions. People get the news through word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting and electronic communication.
People are interested in News because it provides them with information on what is happening in the world around them. They want to know what is important, what is new, what is unusual and what is significant. A story that meets these criteria is called a good News story.
Controversy: People love controversies and anything connected to them makes News. Arguments, charges and counter charges, fights and tension are all good News stories. Prominence: People are interested in the lives of famous persons and their achievements. This is one reason why sports, movies and television stars are popular.
Location: A story is more interesting and significant when it happens near to home. Similarly, it is more important when it affects the nation or the world. This is why wars are big News stories and coups d’etat are also very big.
Patterns also make News. For example, if one fancy restaurant closes down in the face of the economic crisis, this is not big News but if it’s the fourth to close, it becomes front page news. It is vitally important for journalists to understand their audience. This will help them decide on what to report and how to write it. They must ask themselves who are they writing for, what is their average age, where are they reading from, local or national and why are they reading the News? Answering these questions will help them to write an article that is relevant and engaging. They must keep the most important facts at the top of the article, above the fold.