News is information about events that affect people and the environment. It is generally published in print or on the Internet and distributed to readers by a variety of media. Traditional news sources include newspapers, radio and television. Online resources like Google News and Reuters also provide access to a variety of news articles and headlines. News writers strive to provide their audience with accurate, up-to-date information that is interesting and relevant.
While news stories should be interesting, it is important to remember that they are not a means of entertainment. It is the job of other areas – music and drama on radio, cartoons in newspapers – to entertain. People can get their entertainment from a variety of other sources, including movies and television.
A story is considered newsworthy if it is new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. It is often about a person or group of people, but it can also be about an animal, a natural disaster or a technological innovation.
Many different people read the news, and each has a specific interest in certain kinds of stories. Some people are interested in sports news, others in politics or business news. A lot of news is local in nature and appeals to the reader’s immediate interests.
Whether they’re reading about a new drug or the latest celebrity scandal, people need to be able to find the information that’s relevant to them. A good writer knows that they must keep this in mind and cater their writing to the specific needs of their audience.
One way to do this is by focusing on the five W’s: who, what, when, where and why. Another is to use supporting evidence in the form of quotations or opinions from industry experts. This can help make the news more believable and engaging for the reader.
People have limited amounts of time to spend on the news. If they read a long, winding article, they might lose interest or skip it altogether. This is why news writers try to keep their articles as short and concise as possible. They focus on the most important information first and put it above the fold in a newspaper (or “above the fold” on a website).
In addition to reducing the length of the news story, writers should also pay attention to their word choice. They should avoid using jargon that is unfamiliar to the majority of their audience. Similarly, they should use third-person pronouns such as ‘he’, ‘she’ and ‘it’ rather than first-person pronouns such as ‘I’. It’s also important to be aware of how the news is presented – some sources are more neutral than others.