The News is current events that are gathered by journalists for publication in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. The aim is to inform and educate. In addition to providing information the news can also be entertaining. For example, music and drama programmes on radio and crosswords in newspapers.
What is news varies from society to society, but there are some broad guidelines:
News must be unusual. It must be interesting to the public. It should be significant, or it must affect people in some way. It should be fresh – it must have happened recently. It should be a story that can be reported in detail.
It is also important to understand the difference between a News and a feature. The main difference is that a News article is more factual and less analytical, while a feature is more detailed and often more opinionated.
The News article must answer the five Ws: who, what, where, when and why. It must include a balanced and objective presentation of facts. It must not contain any personal bias. It must also be sourced and based on solid research.
It is also important to understand the audience and what they want/need to know. For example, a national newspaper will be interested in national and international affairs whereas a local paper is more concerned with community issues. Likewise, a magazine article will have a wider readership than a newspaper, and therefore needs to appeal to a wider range of interests.