News is the information and events that are reported in newspapers, magazines, radio, television and the Internet. It is important for people to keep up with what is going on in their community, country and the world. The purpose of news is to inform, educate and amuse. The entertainment aspect comes from other areas – music and drama on radio and TV; cartoons and crosswords in newspapers. It is also important that news is accurate and does not contain personal bias.
Generally, news is only interesting if it is new and significant. Timeliness is an important aspect of news, and many large media sources focus on current events. It is important to think about what makes a story newsworthy, and this is where research skills come in handy. Generally, the five Ws – who, what, where, when and why – are the main points that make up most news stories.
It is important to use quotations in a news article, but it is not the writer’s place to insert their own opinion or bias into a piece of news. This is why it is best to interview the source directly and cite them correctly. Then the reader can decide whether or not they agree with the point of view being expressed. If the source is well known, they can add a level of authority to the article. Examples of publications and news outlets that do this are VOX, Refinery29, The Skimm, Flare’s Explainer series, and Maclean’s.