News is timely information about a recent, unusual, interesting or significant event or development. It can be about any topic of interest to the public such as sports, politics, crime, business, culture, education, health or the environment. It can also be about an organisation or institution such as a government, church, school or university.
A good news article starts with a headline that grabs attention. This is often called a lede and it is important that it answers the questions: what, when, who, where and why. It should also place the news in context by describing the background to the story and providing the necessary detail for readers to understand why it is important.
The main body of a news article should follow an inverted pyramid structure, whereby the most important facts are presented at the top of the article. This is important because, for example, in a newspaper article readers only see what’s above the fold (the crease that runs down the middle of the page) so it’s best to have the most interesting and important facts at the front.
The main topics that make for good news stories include famous people, what they do and their lives, health (including traditional remedies and medical research), the economy, fashion, entertainment and sport. It is also newsworthy to report on events that are thought likely to be of concern to the majority of the population such as war, natural disasters, pollution and climate change.