News is current affairs/events that affect the general populous. They are reported in newspapers and on radio/TV. News reports are often subjective, however they should be well researched and include quotes from people involved. News stories should be unbiased and not contain the writer’s own opinions. The first paragraph of a news article, known as the lead or lede, should grab reader attention by being dramatic, interesting or shocking. The lead is important because it will determine whether or not readers continue to read the article. It should be written using the inverted pyramid format, putting the most critical information at the beginning of the article. A good way to write a lead is to begin with a question, a dramatic anecdote or a surprising fact. It should also include the basic facts of the story – who, what, when, where and why.
Different societies have different things that make them interested in news. For example, a man biting his dog may not be news in one society but it will be in another. However, an insect that destroys crops may be news everywhere because everyone needs to eat.
A lot of things can be classified as news, but the big events such as wars, political coups and natural disasters will usually be covered by most news sources. The biggest events are given top billing on bulletins and pages of newspapers, with lesser events being placed lower down the list.