News is the media’s presentation of current events and noteworthy information. News content is usually geared toward a specific demographic, whether it’s a local newspaper or a global television network. Writing news articles involves gathering the facts and relaying them to an audience in a concise and engaging manner.
What is considered to be newsworthy will differ between societies. For example, an insect that has been discovered living on a plant that it did not previously inhabit is likely to only be of interest to specialists and enthusiasts. On the other hand, an upcoming natural disaster that could affect many people would be of general interest.
The best news stories are those that are new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. These five criteria are used to assess the strength of a story when it is a subject for a newspaper, magazine or radio broadcast.
Once you’ve gathered all the relevant information, your next task is to write a headline that will catch readers attention. This is particularly important when writing for newspapers as it should be placed above the fold (the crease that runs down the middle of a newspaper page). When writing online, a strong headline will ensure your article is seen as it appears on the screen before being scrolled past.
Once the headline has been created, you can then add a lead (or opening paragraph) that provides a summary of the story and the key points to be included. The lead should include a restatement of the title, as well as where and when it took place, who was involved and why it’s newsworthy. The lead also gives the reader a sense of what they will learn in the rest of the article, including any opinions that you may have expressed as the writer.