News is information about current events. It may be published in newspapers, magazines or on the radio or television. It can also be transmitted in an electronic communication such as email. News can be a major event, such as the resignation of a leader or the discovery of a new disease, or it can be a minor occurrence such as the birth of a baby or the death of an old friend.
What makes a story newsworthy depends on the culture and interests of the audience. For example, a girl’s departure for university may be newsworthy to some but not to others. Similarly, a road traffic accident that kills two people will be more newsworthy than one which kills just one. Other things that are often reported as news include war, government, politics, education, health, the environment, business and finance, fashion and entertainment, and strange or unusual events.
Writing a news article starts with researching the topic and gathering all the facts. Then the journalist decides what is the most important news and where to put it in the paper or broadcast. The most important information is given first and in greater detail and the less significant information follows later with fewer details. The headline should be eye catching and emotion evoking and the writer must think carefully about what is actually newsworthy before beginning to write.
It is a judgement call whether something is important enough to report as news and the judgments made by journalists are similar to those made by everybody else when they choose what they talk about or listen to. For instance, if scientists report that they have found an insect living on a plant it did not previously inhabit, this is new and unusual but it may only be of interest to other experts or enthusiasts.