News provides information about current events, developments and issues in the world. It keeps people updated on what is happening in their communities, countries and internationally. It also educates people by providing insights into various topics, such as politics, science, economics and culture. It also serves as a watchdog by exposing wrongdoing and corruption in government and businesses. Finally, it can provide entertainment and leisure by means of features, lifestyle segments and cultural coverage.
News articles start with a headline, which should be short and catchy to draw attention. Then follows a byline, which includes the writer’s name. This is especially important if the article is to appear in a publication where the author may be competing with other writers for readership. It is also a good idea to include Associated Press style guidelines in the headline and lead, unless the publication specifies something else.
A strong news story has five basic elements: timeliness, drama, consequence, proximity and narrative. The more all of these criteria are met, the greater the news value. A person waking up, eating breakfast and taking the bus to work doesn’t make good news, but the death of Mao Tse-tung is a big event worthy of international news coverage.
Timeliness is the most crucial characteristic of news. It is not enough for something to happen, it must have happened recently or be relevant at the moment. For example, an earthquake in Iran would be big news, but not a quake in New York. News about the recent killings of journalists in Syria would be significant, but a story about the murders of police officers in Texas is not.
Drama is a key element of news, and it can be created in many ways. An unexpected occurrence, such as a celebrity going missing or a political scandal involving a well-known politician, will generate considerable interest and can be very dramatic. An exciting, unforeseen event such as an explosion or a car crash can also be very dramatic and create excitement. A combination of all these characteristics can also create newsworthiness, such as the sudden appearance of a long-lost treasure or the discovery of a meteorite on a remote island.
Consequence is another factor that can be very important in determining the newsworthiness of an event. How will the occurrence of the event affect people? Will it have a negative or positive impact on them? For example, a coup d’etat in the country next door is a major event because it can affect the stability of that region.
Proximity is a very important aspect of news because it refers to how close or far away an event occurs. An earthquake in New York will have a different effect on a city in Canada than it will on a city in the United States. A terrorist attack in a neighboring country can also be very close to home and therefore have a great impact on local residents.
If you are interested in learning more about News, there are many resources available online. You can find books and magazines about News, or you can go to websites that offer news aggregation services, such as Google News. These websites collect and organize news stories from multiple sources worldwide and allow users to select which news they want to see based on their preferences.