Most people would agree that the primary purpose of news is to inform and educate readers, listeners or viewers. Entertainment can come from other areas – music and drama programs on radio; cartoons in newspapers and magazines, for example – but it is not the job of news to entertain. That is the job of other media, such as movies and TV.
When writing a news article, there are several things to keep in mind. First, it is important to know who you are writing for. This is usually a specific demographic, but it may also be based on the subject of the story. For example, if you are writing about a fire at a home, your demographic might be homeowners.
It is also important to include all relevant facts in a news article. This includes information such as who, what, where and when. In addition, you should always include a quote from an official source and include any related photos or video. This will help your readers to better understand the event and make a decision about what to do next.
Another thing to consider is that a news story should not contain any personal opinion or bias. This can be difficult, but it is vital for a news story to remain unbiased. A good way to do this is to interview subjects of a story or to use quotes from public statements. This will allow the people involved in the story to speak for themselves and will give readers a more complete picture of what is going on.
In a news story, it is also important to place the most important information at the top of the article. This is called “above the fold” in newspaper terms, but it is just as important when writing for the internet. Most online readers will not read an entire article, so it is critical to engage them early by giving them the most important information.
There are many different types of news stories, but they all share a few common elements. The most important is a strong headline that grabs attention and creates curiosity. In addition, a headline should be accurate and short. The headline should also tell the reader what type of story they are about to read.
Other common news elements include famous people, health, religion and sex. People are interested in what celebrities do and how they look, as well as any diseases or medical advancements. Religion is always a topic of interest, and sex is something that all societies are interested in, even if they do not openly discuss it.
