News is information about current events that can be communicated via print, broadcasting or electronic communication. It is often used to inform, educate and entertain. The news may be reported as factual or fictional. It is the basis for many public discussions, debates and political decisions. It is the foundation for many different genres of media, including journalism, literature and film.
News should be written in a clear and concise manner, free of excessive jargon. It should also be aimed at a general audience and not just members of a specific industry. For example, an article about a medical breakthrough is likely to be read by medical practitioners and scientists but not by a general readership.
A good way to approach writing news is to consider the 5 Ws – Who, What, Where, When and Why. This will help you to develop an in-depth story that covers all the important aspects of the event. It is also helpful to include background information that explores the bigger picture. This can be done through quotations or opinions of experts in the field.
It is essential to find a balance between being entertaining and informative. A good news article will have some element of entertainment and should always be readable. However, it is not the job of the news to entertain for its own sake. The entertainment should come from other areas – music and drama on radio or television, cartoons in newspapers, crosswords, etc.
Unless the news story has a human interest, it will not be engaging for readers. This can be achieved by adding facts about the people involved or showing how the event affects them directly. People will be interested in how the weather will affect their daily activities, food shortages and gluts or whether they can afford to take their children on holiday this year.
Avoid using vague words in your news articles, as they will not be understood by the average reader. It is much better to be specific and to use words like ‘gold, silver or copper’ rather than ‘bright and sparkly’. This makes the reader think harder about what is being said and also provides them with a more accurate understanding of the news.
It is important to include a byline at the end of the news article. This is the name of the journalist who has written it. Some publications may not use bylines and this is often because they are following a historical tradition or because they prefer to remain anonymous. Having a byline can also be useful for breaking news as it helps the reader identify the source of the information. However, it is worth noting that this can sometimes be misleading as the journalist may not necessarily be present at the time of the event.