News is information about current events. It may be delivered through word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting or electronic communication. Democracies depend on an informed citizenry, and journalists play a critical role in keeping the public informed.
News stories can be short or long, depending on the event and the audience. A news story must be interesting to hold readers’ attention. It must also be brief so that the reader can read it, clearly written so the readers can understand it, picturesquely presented so that the readers will remember it and, above all, accurate so that the readers can make sound judgments about it.
To determine whether a story is newsworthy, ask yourself the “5 W’s” — who, what, where, when, why and how. This will help you focus on the most important facts about the event and how you will present them.
The type of information that makes the most newsworthy stories is often influenced by the culture of the community or region in which it occurs. For example, in a democracy, political events tend to make the most newsworthy stories because they affect many people directly. Other things that influence newsworthiness include proximity to the home, controversy and prominence.
For students who are learning English, a good way to practice reading and writing about news is to visit a website that contains stories designed for learners of English. These stories are often written at an elementary level, around CEFR level B1. They contain simple sentences and vocabulary, and have audio recordings that can be used to check pronunciation and comprehension.