News is information about current events. It can be transmitted through a variety of different media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, television or the internet. It can also be distributed via word of mouth. The news is a vital source of information about the world around us, but it can also be confusing and sometimes inaccurate. There is no one definition of what constitutes news; it will differ from society to society. In general, though, it will be whatever is interesting or unusual.
In many societies, the news is about people. However, it can also be about natural events such as cyclones, droughts or volcanic eruptions. The nature of the news will also vary from one society to another, depending on what is important to that particular culture.
Regardless of the medium used to deliver the news, the goal is to inform and educate the audience. Entertainment can come from other areas – music and drama on the radio; cartoons and crossword puzzles in newspapers. Nevertheless, the news should never be dull.
When writing a news article, the first thing to do is to grab the readers’ attention. This is often done by using a dramatic anecdote or a surprising fact. This is known as the lede. The next part of the story, often called the nut graph, is what explains the news in detail. This is usually where most of the facts are contained and is where the story really begins.
Once the nut graph is written, the remaining parts of the article are then filled in with details and background. This is where most of the work comes in for journalists, since it is up to them to determine which facts are more important than others. They will also choose to omit any details that do not affect the overall result of the story.
It is crucial for a journalist to be able to cite his or her sources. This is so that the reader can verify that the information presented is factual and not an opinion. This may be accomplished by direct quotes from a person involved in the event, or it could be paraphrasing and citing other sources such as court documents, the Census or an online news site.
With the advent of the internet and 24-hour news stations, it is possible for people to receive more information than ever before. However, it is important to remember that people do not have the time to read everything they are told. Long stories with a lot of information can be a turnoff for readers. A good way to avoid this is to write a concise story by eliminating any extraneous information that does not impact the outcome of the news story. By doing this, a journalist can make his or her work easier and more effective for the audience. This is not only true for news articles, but is also true of short stories and even essay writing.