News articles are written to inform readers on current affairs/events in the world. These events may be global, national or local in scope and are a key source of information for many people.
News is often considered to be a crucial part of any democracy. It helps citizens stay informed and gives them a voice in their country’s governance. However, it is important to remember that not all news articles are equal and not all news stories are unbiased. Despite this, it is essential that journalists write in an impartial manner and are not influenced by political or corporate interests.
In order to produce good news articles it is necessary to understand what makes an event newsworthy. There are five main criteria that make an event newsworthy; impact, proximity, controversy, prominence and emotion. It is also important to keep in mind the audience when writing a news article, they will dictate how the story should be presented.
Generally speaking, human interest stories make the best news items because they involve people and their actions and reactions. They are interesting and relevant to everyone and therefore are more likely to create a sense of urgency. These stories can be positive or negative, and it is the role of the journalist to present these stories in a way that will have the greatest impact on their audience.
When a person is involved in a controversial situation, such as being arrested or charged with a crime, this becomes newsworthy. This is because it evokes an emotional response from the public, which is a major aspect of what makes a story interesting. Similarly, the death of a famous person is usually newsworthy because it creates a stir within the public. Proximity to the reader is another factor that determines how newsworthy an event is. If a event happens close to home, it will usually be reported in the local press and will have a greater impact on the community.
An important element of any good news article is the fact that it must be current. It does not do the newspaper any good to report on an event that happened a week ago, the community has moved on and they will want to read about something new. Therefore, a successful journalist will be able to find the latest news and break it to their readers quickly. They will ask themselves the 5 W’s; who, what, where, when and why to gather all of the relevant facts for their article.