News is a way of relaying current and interesting events to the public in a fast, accurate and objective manner. This information may be obtained from various sources, including government, social and business activities, sports and entertainment, religion, fashion, music and the arts. Throughout history, it has been common to transport this type of information through oral means, such as telling stories over the campfire, or via written methods, such as newspapers and books. In more recent times, television, radio and the internet have become important tools in the dissemination of news.
The most effective way to write a good news article is to begin with a hook that grabs the attention of readers. This is usually a dramatic anecdote or something that will surprise or shock them. Once the reader is hooked, they will want to read more about what happened. This is where the nut graph comes in, which is a summary of the main points in the story. It typically answers the questions who, what, where, when and why. The nut graph will also place the new developments in context by describing the bigger picture.
Once the research is complete, a reporter should write a clear and concise story that includes quotes from people who have knowledge of what happened. The author should avoid adding personal opinions or bias to the piece, and it is often a good idea to utilize the inverted pyramid format, placing the most critical information at the beginning of the article and following it up with less important details.
Generally speaking, a news item is considered to be a big deal if it meets the criteria of being new, unusual, interesting and significant. However, what constitutes a big deal may differ somewhat in different societies. For example, a farm wall collapse that kills one cow but saves the life of a pig will have a different impact on society than a flood in the same area that affects both crops and kills hundreds of animals.
It is the job of news media – newspapers, magazines, radio and television – to educate their audiences and inform them about what is happening in the world around them. They should not be providing entertainment, which is better done by other sources such as music and drama programs on the radio or crosswords and cartoons in newspapers.
Many people believe that their local newspaper is the best source of news, but this is not always the case. In fact, a study by Edgerly and Vraga found that newsworthiness is decided by the audience – readers, listeners and viewers – not by journalists. Therefore, a big story is more likely to appear in the front of a newspaper than a small story, even though it may have been reported elsewhere in the same period of time. This is because the audience is more likely to see a story that affects them personally as being newsworthy than a distant event that happens to someone else.