News is information about events that has been reported in the media – newspapers, magazines, radio and television. The aim of news is to inform and educate. However, it can also entertain if it is done in a way that amuses the audience – music and drama on radio, cartoons in newspapers, for example. The main purpose of news is to keep the public informed but it can be difficult to balance this with accuracy.
Writing news articles involves gathering all the facts from research and interviews and conveying this information in a short amount of words. It can also involve expressing the writer’s opinion. When writing an article it is important to know the demographic you are targeting. This can often be established based on the geographical area of your publication or the topic of the article, for example: if you are reporting on a local government decision then you will target the people within that community.
An important factor in deciding what is newsworthy is whether it is new, unusual, interesting or significant. For example, if someone goes to work by bus every day then it would not be newsworthy; but if the same person is killed in two different countries then it is likely to make the papers. Newsworthiness can also vary in different societies and cultures, for example: what is a major event in the United States may not be deemed as such in another country.