News is current information, or a story, about a significant event, such as an election or a disaster. It has been a mainstay of media since ancient times and continues to play an important role in modern society, with newspapers and television being common channels for the transmission of news and information.
Whether it is local, national or international, news affects all people and has great impact. The news is usually reported in a way that will engage and entertain the reader, with the most interesting or significant aspects of the news being highlighted. The story should also be objective and factual, without the author’s personal opinions.
The first paragraph of a news article is referred to as the lead and is designed to grab the reader’s attention. This is usually achieved by using a dramatic anecdote or a surprising piece of information. It should also include the key points of the news story, answering the five Ws (who, what, where, when and why).
Once the reader has been drawn in by the headline and the nut graph they will be ready to read the full story. In a news story it is best to write in the third person for clarity and objectivity. It is also best to avoid making abrupt switches between first and second person in the text, as this can be jarring for the reader.
In a news story, the detail is often provided in the form of quotes from those involved in the story. These should be short and concise, focusing on the key message of the news item. It is also common practice to include one or more images with a news article, especially on the Web. This helps to add visual interest and appeal, as well as making the article more engaging for readers.
The conclusion of a news article should wrap up the key elements of the story and include a call to action. This may be as simple as encouraging the reader to make a donation or as complex as asking them to boycott a company for its stance on an issue.
While it is often easy to define what is newsworthy, deciding how to present it can be more challenging. In a newspaper, the editor will generally decide what is of most interest to its readers and which stories are deemed most important. In recent times this has been complicated by the fact that events that were once confined to towns or nations can now be instantly broadcast worldwide. The impact of these events can be huge and can have a massive effect on the lives of millions of people.