News is information about current events, usually reported in newspapers and broadcast on radio or TV. It can also be a story about something that is new, interesting, significant or of public interest. It is often used to inform and educate, although it can also amuse or entertain.
One way of thinking about news is that it should be ‘new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people’. This does not mean that events which happened earlier cannot be news – the assassination of Mrs Gandhi would still be news if it were reported tomorrow – but only if some facts about it are revealed for the first time.
The most important thing to remember about writing news is that it needs to be up-to-date. It does not do a newspaper any good to report on something that happened last week, because the community will already have moved on and is talking about something else. Similarly, a story about an event which has happened in a distant country will not have as much impact in local communities as something that happens in the same city.
Another thing to remember when writing news is that it should not contain the writer’s opinion. It is important to be impartial and report the facts of a situation without prejudice. However, some writers may decide to add a personal touch to their piece by interviewing the key people involved and using their quotes. In most cases, though, it is better to let the subject speak for themselves.