News is a form of communication that covers the latest developments in a particular topic. It usually focuses on events that affect the general public, but it can also be about people who are already famous or about a group of individuals or animals.
When news is written about, it should be clear and informative. This means that it should be brief, clearly understandable, picturesquely portrayed and accurately reported so that readers can follow the story as it progresses.
The first step in writing a news article is to research the topic thoroughly and gather your findings into a pyramid of information, keeping an inverted-pyramid structure in mind. It’s important to remember that the most important information should be placed at the top of the pyramid so that it will be easier for readers to digest.
Another thing to keep in mind when writing a news piece is the audience. This is important because it helps you to determine the right format and content for your article.
Popularity: A popular news item may be a story about someone who is already famous or about something that is unusual and has wide appeal. This may be a celebrity scandal or a story about a controversial issue such as religion, politics or the environment.
Entertainment: A popular news item might concern show business, human interest, animals, an unfolding drama or offer opportunities for humorous treatment, entertaining photographs or witty headlines.
Sex: All societies are interested in sex, but many news items involve behaviour that goes against society’s generally accepted standards of behaviour.
Health: People are concerned with their health, so stories that relate to traditional remedies or medical research are likely to be newsworthy.
Surprise: A surprising event might be a news item that is not expected by the general public, and so it is worth reporting.
Magnitude: A significant event is likely to be newsworthy if it involves an extreme occurrence, or an extreme behaviour or situation.
Relevance: A news item might be considered relevant if it relates to a specific group or nation, or if it is perceived as being sufficiently significant in the numbers of people involved or in potential impact.
Hard news: A hard news story is typically more complex than a standard news report, and should contain a lot of detailed information about the subject. It should be written without personal bias and should include interviews with the victims of the event.
In-depth: A deep news feature takes a smaller, more in-depth topic and investigates it extensively. This might be a report about a cyclone, bush fire, drought or volcanic eruption.
These types of articles are more difficult to write than a simple news report, but they are well worth the effort. In addition, these types of reports can be more interesting and engaging for your readers. They might even be more relevant to your target audience than a regular news article.