News is a report on events that happened recently, are interesting, and/or significant. It is a form of information that should be presented fairly, accurately, and objectively. It is a major component of the media and is one of the primary ways that people stay informed about the world around them. News can be found in newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. It can also be found online through websites and blogs.
A good news article will begin with a snappy headline that concisely informs readers of the news topic while seizing their interest. The headline should be followed by a brief paragraph that outlines the main points of the story. If any opinions or statements are included, they should be attributed to a credible source that has been vetted.
The main purpose of news is to inform and educate your audience. It is not necessarily to entertain, although it may be done in a light-hearted way if that fits the subject matter. Entertainment should come from other areas – music and drama on the radio or in television, for example, or from the use of humor in newspaper columns.
Some people are concerned that news is manipulated and/or biased in the interests of certain individuals or groups. In other words, that the media is too willing to present a version of events that suits the political and/or economic interests of the powerful. This concern has led to the development of sites that evaluate news sources for bias.
Other people are more worried that the media is not sufficiently challenging what is reported. For instance, they might complain that the media focuses too much on stories involving violent or sensational events, and not enough on other issues such as poverty, inequality, or the environment.
Many people are interested in finding alternative sources of information, mainly because they want to see if what is being reported is truly accurate. They also may have concerns about the level of influence that big corporations and governments have on the media.
In the past, news media such as newspapers and television were limited in their scope. But the number of available outlets is growing and changing rapidly with the advent of new technologies. For example, websites that aggregate and publish local news have grown in popularity. Other examples include specialized publications and local communities with their own blogs.
A news article can be in the form of straight reporting, an in-depth piece of news writing that looks at a smaller subject and researches it heavily, or a news feature that takes a broad look at several different aspects of the same event. The best choice will depend on the nature of your news item and the demographic for which you are writing. For example, a news article written for a general publication will reach a wider audience than one written for a specialized community such as the residents of Kansas City. For this reason, it is important to know your audience.