News is information that has been written or broadcast on a television, radio, newspaper, or Internet site. It can also be a report of a particular event, such as a natural disaster, an election, or a political party’s victory.
In general, the purpose of news is to inform people and educate them. This does not mean that it must be dull, as there can be an element of entertainment in the form of cartoons and crossword puzzles on newspapers or music or drama on radio.
The decision to include information in a newspaper, on the line-up for TV news or on a news Internet site is made by people who work for that media. These people are called editors, news directors or news managers and they sift through the events of the day and decide what will become news.
They may be working for a large or small paper, broadcaster or Internet media, but they all have the same basic understanding of what news is and how to make it appealing to their readers, listeners or viewers. They are all looking for a story that is new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people, as well as one that has the potential to be dramatic or compelling.
The most important part of a news article is the first paragraph, which lists the main facts that the reader needs to know to understand what the story is about. The next paragraphs expand upon these main facts to add additional detail, while the final paragraphs state the author’s opinion about the issue.