News is information about events which are of interest to the public. It can be reported in newspapers, magazines and radio or on television. It can also be found on the internet. The main purpose of news is to inform, and to educate its audience. However, it can also be entertaining. This can be done through music and drama programs on the radio or in the form of cartoons and crossword puzzles in a newspaper or magazine.

News usually tells us about what is happening right now, or at the very least what has happened recently. It can also be about the future. It is important that the news is accurate and not biased. The way that the news is presented can also have a strong influence on its impact on the reader.

When writing a news article it is necessary to know who you are writing for. Most articles and newspapers are geared toward a specific demographic. This can be based on location, or it may be a specific group within the population. For example, if you are writing about zoning laws in a commercial area then your target demographic might be realtors and business owners.

Another thing to remember when deciding what to write about is that news must be new. It cannot be a rehash of something that happened previously. It is not a good idea to write about an event that occurred a week ago, because the community has already moved on. However, if something which happened a week ago becomes known for the first time that could be newsworthy.

Generally, the things that make the most interesting news are those which affect people. It is the human aspect of an event which makes it interesting and significant. For this reason, most news stories are automatically about people. However, it is possible to write about non-human events which are interesting and significant – for example a cyclone, a bush fire, a drought or an earthquake.

The biggest news stories are always given priority and are given in the most detail in the bulletin or on Page One of the newspaper. Lesser news is given less attention and is often printed on the inside pages or in a smaller column. It is important that journalists are able to judge which news is the most important and which is not.

When writing a news story it is important to include all the relevant details. This includes the five Ws: who, what, where, when and why. You can also add in some background information, such as how the event occurred and any relevant history surrounding it. It is also a good idea to interview sources and include quotes from them in your article. This can give your article a more personal touch and help the readers to relate to it. Lastly, be sure to proofread your article thoroughly to ensure that it is free of errors. These can be minor spelling mistakes or grammatical errors, or they could be more serious, such as inaccuracies in the facts of the story.