News is information about things that happen in a society. It is about people – the things they do and the effect of their actions on other people and the environment. News can also be about non-human things, such as cyclones, bush fires, droughts and volcanic eruptions.
News articles are usually about current events, but may include some historical information as well. They are designed to inform, and they should be brief so that readers will read them, clear so that they can understand them, picturesque so that they will remember them, and accurate so that they can be guided by them.
The most important factor in deciding whether something is newsworthy is how interesting it is to readers. News is usually about people, but some things about people are more interesting than others. Some types of stories are always newsworthy:
Crime: any crime, including road traffic offences, break and enter, forgery and murder; however, more serious crimes tend to make bigger headlines. Money: stories about fortunes made and lost, compensation claims, school fees, taxes, the Budget and food prices – but it is not just large sums that make news – the little girl who gives her only ten cents to a fund-raising appeal is more interesting than the businessman who gives $100.
In-depth or investigative journalism takes a small subject and researches it extensively, but it is still classified as a news story. This type of article can be very interesting to readers, especially if it shows the way that a big overarching issue or problem has been resolved.