Throughout history News has been an important means of transporting information, either orally or written. The advent of more advanced technologies, including printing and broadcasting, allowed News to spread faster and further. Whether written or spoken, News can be about people, places and things. News can also be about ideas, such as political systems, religions and philosophy.
Many factors affect what makes an event newsworthy, such as how unusual or important it is, who was involved, how recently it happened, how far reaching its effects are and how much attention it has attracted. It can be very difficult to judge what is or isn’t newsworthy. There is a lot going on in the world and not all of it can make it into the News. For example, if a man wakes up, has breakfast and takes the bus to work it doesn’t make news because it is not particularly unusual or important.
If, on the other hand, a cyclone or bush fire causes great damage and inconvenience to a large number of people it will be newsworthy. The same goes for natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Other events that are newsworthy include war, government, politics, education, health, the environment and business. The occurrence of crime, sporting events and celebrity scandals can also be News.
When writing News it is important to keep the reader in mind. It is important to include all the facts relevant to the story, so that the reader is fully informed. It is also important to include a quotation from a source that can add depth and dimension to the story. This can help readers understand the impact of the event or story more fully.
Depending on the topic of the News it can be helpful to have a clear title that captures the reader’s attention. Putting the most important facts at the beginning of an article is also helpful, as this will encourage the reader to continue reading. This is why News articles often have the most important information above the fold – this refers to the crease in a newspaper where all the top stories are placed.
While News can be about a wide variety of topics, it is important to focus on current and interesting events. It can be boring to read about an event that has already happened, so it is important for journalists to find a balance between fact and entertainment. In addition, it is useful to consider the perspectives of different societies when deciding what is Newsworthy. For example, a bug that is harming crops might be a major problem for peasant farmers in one country, but not so much for wealthy city dwellers. This may not mean that News is less significant in the latter society, but it does mean that the content is likely to be different.