News is the information that tells people what is happening in their local areas, countries and internationally. It enables them to be aware of political, economic and social developments that can affect them and their way of life. It also helps to educate them by providing a platform where they can learn about the world around them and understand issues that are being debated.
The content of News will differ from society to society. In some cases what is considered to be interesting and significant in one society will not be the same in another. For example, it may not be newsworthy if dogs are eaten in a certain community but a coup in a neighbouring country could be big news.
There are a number of criteria that can be used to judge whether an event is newsworthy. In general an event will be newsworthy if it is new, unusual, interesting or significant. It is important to remember, though, that an event is only considered to be newsworthy if it meets these criteria for the particular audience being targeted.
Events that are important to a wide range of audiences will be given greater prominence in the media than those that are of interest only to a small group. This is known as the “above the fold” rule. In a newspaper this refers to the crease at the top of the page before it is folded over, in which all the major stories will be placed. In an online article this will mean putting the most important information at the top of the article so that it is easy for readers to find.
Many things happen in the world every day and not all of them are newsworthy. The classic line is that “dog bites man” is not newsworthy but “man bites dog” is. The reason is that the first case is a mundane, everyday event that is not likely to capture anyone’s attention. It is only the second event that is likely to be newsworthy because it is something out of the ordinary and will grab the attention of many people.
In addition to deciding what is newsworthy it is important for journalists to know their audience well. This will help them to determine the tone and style of the article and also to know what kinds of information to include.
Knowing your audience will also help in the writing of a good news article as it will enable you to write using vocabulary and phrases that your audience will understand. In this way you will be able to keep your audience engaged and interested in the story that you are telling them. It is also a good idea to have your article proofread by someone else before it is published, as this will ensure that there are no spelling or grammatical errors and that the facts are correct. This will help to build trust between the journalist and the reader, which is a critical factor in a successful piece of journalism.