News is a form of information that aims to inform, educate and entertain. This is done by newspapers, magazines, radio and television – and in many other ways as well.

The main purpose of news is to inform readers, listeners and viewers about important events. It does this by reporting facts about the world around us in a clear, concise and consistent way.

It also provides an insight into what people think, what they believe and how they feel about the issues. It can even inspire them to change their opinions and become better citizens of the world.

In order to write a news article, it is vital to know the topic very thoroughly. This is because a good news story will contain the most important and interesting facts about a topic.

When drafting a news article, it is essential to keep in mind the five Ws: who, what, where, when and why. By following this outline, you can ensure that your readers are getting the most important and relevant facts about the subject matter.

Timeliness: It is very important that items which are important to a large number of people make it into the news. For example, if an economic crisis affects a country, it is likely to be covered by many different news outlets.

Society: All societies are interested in what goes on in their communities and in the lives of those in the public eye. This is particularly true when people lose their jobs or are involved in scandals.

Weather: The weather can affect our everyday lives and is therefore very often of interest to the general population. It is especially noteworthy when it behaves unusually, such as in the case of high or low temperatures, heavy rainfall and drought.

Food and drink: Stories about what is available to eat and drink, whether there are shortages or gluts of certain foods and when new products are launched are all of interest.

Entertainment: Music, dance, cinema and theatre, and carpentry are all subjects which keep people informed about what is happening in the world of arts. It is also newsworthy when famous people are honoured or are in trouble.

It is also very important to remember that news should not be dull or boring, but should have an element of humour as well. This can be found in music and drama programmes on the radio or cartoons and crossword puzzles in a newspaper.

In addition to this, it is crucial that a news article contains a lead which tells the reader what they can expect from the rest of the story. This lead will help the reader decide whether to read on or whether they are satisfied with the main facts of the article.

The News pyramid: It is a common writing rule of thumb that the most important facts should be listed at the top of the article and then followed by more detailed information as the article continues to progress. Keeping this in mind will enable you to write a news article that is easy for readers to understand and digest.