News is information about current events that has been spread through word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting and electronic communication networks. The content of news is usually based on what is important to people and is often sensational. News reports are often viewed as objective but this may not always be the case as some sources have biases.
What makes a story newsworthy depends on many factors but some common characteristics include that the event is unusual, significant or interesting and it involves people. Other important elements are that the event is local, involving violence or scandal and that it is a story of public interest. The impact of the news can also determine its significance. The most significant events are generally portrayed on the front page of newspapers and at the start of news broadcasts. These are known as hard news stories and often focus on politics, wars, business, crime and natural disasters.
In many societies people are interested in the lives of famous and well-known individuals, which is why they make good news stories. The public are also interested in money – which is why stories about fortunes made and lost, taxes, wages, budgets, food prices, investment and compensation claims make the news. People are also concerned about their health, which is why they are interested in stories about traditional remedies, medical research, hospitals and clinics, diseases, diet and exercise. Sex is also a major news item in most societies, even though people are not always willing to talk about it openly.
There are many ways that people can get their news, but the internet is a particularly powerful vehicle. Websites like Facebook allow people to access a wide range of different news reports from around the world. Whether they are sourced from reputable and impartial sources or tabloid sensationalism, these websites often provide news updates that would otherwise not be available.
It is possible for people to use a news aggregator site to gather multiple articles about the same topic and then compare them. This can help to eliminate the effect of bias and make the information more accurate. There are also several different online newspapers that can be used to find unbiased news stories.
When writing a news article, it is important to remember that the reader must be engaged by the headline and lead-in paragraph. This means that the writer should try to capture the attention of the audience by putting the most important information at the beginning of the story. This is why newspaper editors place the most important news stories above the fold, on the left-hand side of the paper before readers have to turn it over or scroll down a web page. The same principles apply when writing for the internet. This allows readers to see the most important news first and encourages them to keep reading. It is also important to give the readers enough information so that they can form their own opinion, even if it differs from your own.