News is information about events in the world around us. It can be found in many forms: newspaper articles, television shows and radio reports, social media posts and enewsletters. It is important to consume news from a variety of sources and in a variety of formats so that you can get an accurate picture of what is happening in the world today.
What is newsworthy varies from society to society. Generally, it is anything that is new, unusual, interesting, significant or about people.
An element of drama is often present in news stories, making them more exciting than those that do not have this component. Events or situations that have clearly identifiable good and bad characters are also more likely to become newsworthy. For example, a story about a convenience store robbery will usually focus on who was robbed (the good guys) and who did the robbing (the bad guys).
The purpose of news is to inform. However, if something is newsworthy because it is entertaining or provides amusement then this should be made clear in the report. For example, missing the bus this morning and having to walk to school does not make for a great news story but if you found a litter of baby tigers on your way to school and took them to an animal shelter then this could be newsworthy. Asking yourself the five W’s – who, what, where, when, why and how – is an excellent way to start writing a news article.
