News is information about current events that is reported to the public. It can be published in many forms, including magazines, newspapers, radio and television. News is often based on research and is meant to inform the reader. It can also include opinions and analysis of issues.
News can be controversial or arouse an emotional response from the audience. It is usually unbiased, although some articles may contain opinions or biases. It can be factual or fictional, though it is normally based on a real event. The topic of the article must be interesting and important enough to attract readers. The classic definition of news is that it is “unusual and worth sharing.” This applies to both the subject matter and the tone of the writing. The article should also be timely, which drives many large media sources to focus on breaking news stories.
When writing a news article it is important to grab the reader’s attention in the first paragraph. This is known as the “lead” and can be done with a dramatic anecdote or surprising facts. The lead should explain what the news is all about and why it’s important. It should answer the questions who, what, when, where and why.
The headline should be short and catchy, preferably using Associated Press style guidelines unless your publication specifies something else. The byline should be your name, if you are the author. The lead should be followed by a paragraph called the “nut graph.” This is a summary of the story that provides answers to all of the above questions and describes how it affects the community.