News is a periodical publication which gives information about current events, and may include opinion pieces. Its purpose is to inform its audience, whether this is the general public or people involved in a particular industry or organisation. News stories are often written by journalists, although other sources such as citizens or bloggers can also contribute articles. News is typically reported on a local level, but can also cover events across the world.
When writing a news article it is important to select a topic that is both interesting and timely. It will also be necessary to decide which elements of the topic will make up your story. For example, if you are reporting on the death of a political figure, you may wish to report only on that person’s last few moments or you might want to go into more detail about their rise to power and fall from grace.
Once you have decided on the main points of your article, it is a good idea to plan out an inverted pyramid structure. This will help to ensure that the most important facts are included at the beginning of your article and that all the important details are given in the right order. It is also a good idea to include quotes from people who have knowledge of the topic and can add insight and emotion to the article.
The next step is to write a headline that will grab readers’ attention. The title should be short and punchy and should include a lot of the key words in the article. A headline should also provide a brief summary of the news item, answering who, what, when, where and why. The lead should also include a byline (the name of the writer).
Once you’ve drafted your article, it is important to proofread and check for spelling and punctuation errors. This can be done using a spell-checker or by asking someone else to read it. It is also important to fact-check throughout the process as new information may become available that could change the context of your article.
Finally, it is essential to make sure that your news article contains enough information so that anyone reading it can form their own opinions. This is especially important if you are providing an opinion piece, but it applies to all forms of news writing.
As a rule, all news items should be placed above the fold on newspaper pages or on the first page of a website. This is because most readers will only read the top few stories and will stop if they don’t find what they are looking for. This is particularly important when writing for online media, as the reader’s attention can be easily distracted by other articles and websites.