What Is News?

News is information about current events that is reported in a newspaper, magazine, radio or television. It can also be transmitted in other ways such as through oral communication.

News may cover a wide range of topics including war, politics, government, education, business, health and the environment. However, it is primarily about people and the things they do. News is usually presented objectively, although the author may have an opinion which they don’t express.

A good news article starts with a snappy headline that captures readers’ attention and conveys the main point of the story. It is often called the “lede” or the “lead.” This is followed by a “nut graph,” which clarifies what the story is about, addressing the questions of who, what, when, where and why. The news article then describes how the new developments happened. It can include interviews with experts or ordinary people with unique insights into the topic.

The final section of the news article is a summary, which includes any implications for the future. A news article should have a strong conclusion that restates the key points of the lede and nut graph. This is to ensure that readers who don’t read all of the article get the main message. It is also a good idea to give the news article a sense of urgency or a deadline. This will increase the likelihood that the reader will keep reading until they have all of the details. News articles are usually written in an inverted pyramid format, where the most important information is placed at the top and each subsequent paragraph contains less important information. This allows readers who only skim the article to receive a lot of information, but it requires them to read all the way through the piece to get the full picture. This structure is more common for newspaper articles than for online publications.