News is anything that affects people’s lives. It may concern the environment, business, politics, crime or the health of people. Generally, news stories are written to inform and educate the public about what is happening in the world, but it can also be entertaining.

The news value of information is determined by a number of criteria including: novelty, controversy, prominence, currency and oddity. Unusual things make the news because they are unusual or interesting; controversies attract attention because they involve conflicts, arguments and charges. Prominence can also be a good way to catch the attention of the public; prominent men and women often make the news because they are important, famous and can change the course of events.

If you are writing about news, it is very important to keep your story short and to the point. Most people don’t have time to read long stories, so make sure your story is as concise as possible.

Use your headline to catch the reader’s attention immediately so they aren’t buried in information. If you don’t hook the reader in the first sentence of your story, they may not even read the rest.

When identifying people, always use the full first name, or both initials if it is relevant to the story. This way, you avoid confusing the reader by switching from one person to another without giving them any context.

Using the third person is usually okay, but it’s best to be careful not to confuse your readers by jarring them with abrupt switches of person. If you do want to use the first person, make sure your article is well-written so that it does not turn off your readers.

In addition to describing people’s actions and reactions, you should also describe their circumstances as accurately as possible. This is the only way to be certain that your readers know what you are talking about.

You should also include dates and times, which are important for delivering the news effectively. Having the date and time can help people who are interested in the news to stay updated and be able to follow the story.

As a rule, you should start a news story with a topic sentence that tells the reader what the story is about. This helps to set the mood and encourages your readers to keep reading.

The top of the story should contain the most important and most interesting information. This is why it is common practice to write articles above the fold in newspapers and online. Using the virtual fold can also be helpful, as it can keep the most important information at the top.

The news media, such as newspapers, magazines, radio and television, are primarily intended to inform and educate. However, they can also be used to entertain, particularly if there is an element of humour in the story. The entertainment can come from other sources – music and drama programs on radio, cartoons in newspapers, and crossword puzzles on television.