News is information about important events, such as war, politics, government and economics. It can also include quirky or unusual items of interest. News is typically delivered via newspapers, magazines or radio and television, but can also be found online. News articles should aim to provide a factual, accurate and objective report of the news. They are often structured using the inverted pyramid format with a lead paragraph, supporting paragraphs and a conclusion.
A good rule of thumb for deciding whether something is newsworthy is that it needs to be new, unusual, interesting and significant. However, what is considered as newsworthy will vary from society to society. For example, a cow versus pig slaughter may be of greater significance in one society than in another, but a coup d’etat in the country next door will be seen as newsworthy by all.
Veteran reporters will take notes while covering an event, listening for snippets of conversation and dialogue and looking for images that capture the essence of a story. They will also try to identify patterns that might emerge from an event and place it into a context of similar or past events.
It is important to remember that the job of a journalist is to inform, not entertain. Entertainment should come from other areas of the media – music or drama on radio and cartoons or crosswords in a newspaper.