News is information about current events, provided through a variety of different media, including printing, broadcasting, electronic communication and word-of-mouth. It is sometimes called “hard news” to differentiate it from soft news, such as opinion and background articles.
Hard news is usually read quickly and requires concise and condensed language. In journalism school, students learn how to write a news article using an approved writing style that achieves brevity and concision.
Usefulness: The most important purpose of news is to inform people. This can be done through weather forecasts, train timings and other information of public interest.
Educational Values: Many newspapers publish columns that inform people of the different education and job opportunities available to them. This can help them make informed choices about their future.
Unusualness: The more unusual the event is, the more it will be of interest to readers. This can include things like a natural disaster, an unusual crime or the death of a famous person.
Magnitude: The more people involved in an event, the greater its impact will be. This can be the case with a story about an earthquake, a flood or a fire.
Topicality: The more relevant a story is to the reader, the more it will be seen as news. This can be achieved through a number of different methods, such as an exclusive story that is not reported by any other news outlet.
Composition: The most popular way to report news stories is in a newspaper or magazine, where readers can expect to find a good balance between text and pictures. In a radio broadcast or television program, the reporter is often given less room to describe a particular event and may have to use more creative techniques to convey the story.
News is a perishable commodity, so it has to be written quickly. Consequently, it’s essential to check your facts before you send your article to the editor for publication. If you have misinformation in your article, it will immediately damage your credibility as a writer and will discredit the story.