News is information about current events and issues that affect the lives of the public. It is often published in newspapers, radio and television but can also be found online. The purpose of news is to inform and educate readers, listeners and viewers. It can also entertain them, but this is a secondary function.
There is no one definition of news; what counts as a news story can differ greatly from country to country. News stories are influenced by the views and preferences of the journalists and the editors as well as the public. This is why the 5 Ws (who, what, where, when and why) are so important in a news article; the more information provided, the more likely an article is to be accurate and readable.
When deciding what makes good news, most people will look at how the event or topic is going to affect them directly. However, some events may be of more general interest to a wider audience. For example, a coup d’etat in the next county to you will still be a news story because it could affect your own country’s stability.
The news media has traditionally been a key source of information but the proliferation of Internet-capable mobile devices has allowed more people to access the news at a quicker rate than ever before. This has also meant that it is increasingly difficult for governments or businesses to control the flow of information and keep their citizens in the dark.
In an ideal world, all news would be unbiased and free of bias. Unfortunately, this is not always the case and many news outlets have prejudices of their own that can colour the content they produce. This is why it is important to follow quality news sources and be wary of sharing unchecked or sensationalist stories on social media.
Writing a good piece of news can be tricky; it must be factual and informative, but it should also be interesting to read and share. This can be hard to achieve as it is sometimes easy for a piece of news to get boring or dry, especially if it is about a relatively mundane event.
To avoid this, it is important to include quotes from sources when possible to add credibility and validity to an article. These sources could be experts in the field who are able to offer commentary or analysis or even ordinary people who can provide an insight into how a particular issue affects them personally.
Another useful tool to use is statistics, figures and facts; these can help an article to be more engaging and believable if used correctly. These can be sourced from official organisations, academics and other publications and websites. However, they should be checked thoroughly to make sure that they are correct and up to date. It is worth noting that while a sub-editor can catch spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, fact checking remains the responsibility of the writer.