News is current information about events which are important or interesting to people. It may be read in newspapers, watched on TV or radio, written in magazines or posted on the internet. People want to be informed about what is happening in their locality, the country and the world. They also want to know what is happening in the lives of famous people and how they are getting on. News is usually presented in an objective and accurate way.
A story is considered newsworthy if it is new, unusual, interesting or significant. It can also be significant in terms of the impact it will have on people’s lives or the amount of money involved. It should be relevant to the reader, which means that it should affect them in some way or make them feel angry or sad. It should be reported quickly, as people are interested in up-to-the-minute information.
Choosing the best topic for a news article can be difficult. It needs to be something that will appeal to a wide audience, but it also has to be able to be written in an interesting and engaging manner. For example, an event which will have a big impact on the economy is likely to be very popular, but it would not necessarily be interesting enough for most people to read about.
The key to writing good news is to start with a dramatic anecdote or a surprising fact. This is known as the lede, and it is what will attract readers’ attention. It should be followed by the nut graph, which is a summary of what happened and why it is newsworthy. The nut graph should answer the questions “who, what, when, where and why”.
Other aspects of newsworthy topics include weather, health, food and entertainment. People are interested in what happens to celebrities, especially when they become involved in scandal or tragedy. They are also interested in what is going on in the world, particularly if it involves war or natural disasters. They are also interested in their own personal well-being and want to be kept informed about diet, exercise, hospitals and clinics, as well as drugs and traditional remedies. They are also interested in the arts – music, dancing and theatre, cinema and carving.
People are always interested in a good story, so the job of the media is to tell them about events which will entertain and interest them. This could be through music and drama programs on the radio, or through crosswords and cartoons in newspapers. However, it is not the job of news to entertain, but to inform and educate. It should also try to stimulate discussion and debate. This is especially important in an age when the financial model which subsidized professional journalism is collapsing. It is therefore important that citizens take more responsibility for sourcing their own news and for critically assessing what they are reading or watching. This is one of the main reasons why blogs and social media are growing in popularity.