News is the term used to describe current events that have occurred or that are about to happen. They can be either good or bad and they always have a significant impact on the people involved in them. News articles are usually reported on the radio, television and newspaper but can also be found online as well.

The news has been transported from one place to another by word of mouth since ancient times but with the development of writing and printing, it became much easier to spread. Throughout the centuries, many factors have helped to influence what is considered newsworthy including war, government, politics, education, health and business, as well as celebrity, money, weather and fashion.

There are five criteria which can be used to judge the strength of a piece of news; it must be new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. Obviously, the more of these criteria it fulfils the better it is. It is important that the news is sourced correctly as a factual error can damage the credibility of the whole piece. It must also be written in a way which is clear and concise so that the reader can understand it and make an informed judgement about what is happening.

A good piece of news will involve a lot of research on the part of the journalist. They must be able to find out as much information as possible about the topic of the article, including the details that are relevant to them such as who, what, when, where and why. Once they have a firm grasp of this they must then consider what is the most newsworthy aspect of the story.

This can be anything from the death of a famous person to the discovery of a rare plant. It can also include things that are of interest to the majority of the population, such as a sports event or political scandal. In order to keep readers engaged, it is a good idea to include some kind of element of surprise or contrast in the news, as this will hold their attention.

There are also some things which are of interest to the whole community and are therefore universally newsworthy. This includes traditional and foreign news, sport results, weather forecasts and natural disasters. Likewise, stories about celebrities, royal ceremonies, fashion, music and art are also of great interest to the general public. In addition, a wide range of social issues are of interest to most people, such as health, welfare, education, religion and the environment, as well as economic issues such as food prices, wage rises, job losses, budgets and the economy. It is also of interest to know about the latest developments in technology and science.