News is information about things that happen in the world – whether they are about people, animals or plants. It is often about events which are important or interesting to a society, or which might affect its future. In many societies most news is about people, because it is their actions which change the world.
It is usually about people who are prominent – celebrities, politicians or sports figures – or who have done something famous or unusual. News may also be about the activities of other people – especially those who are not well-known.
What makes a story newsworthy is difficult to determine, and there are a variety of theories about it. Some argue that journalists respond to market research and choose what to report according to what people want to hear; others believe they make judgments about what is significant or interesting based on their own personal experience and values.
News may be printed in newspapers, broadcast on radio or television or yelled across the classroom. It may be the result of an accident, a tragedy or an event which is unusual or unexpected. It can be about the environment – for example, floods, bush fires, drought or volcanic eruptions. It can be about politics – for example, government changes or elections. It can be about war, peace or sport.
A good piece of news writing should be interesting as well as accurate. This can be challenging, especially when the information you are reporting is not very exciting or dramatic. You will have to try and find ways of making it so. For example, in a newspaper you may have to decide how much space to devote to the story of an insect which has just discovered that it can live on a new plant. This might not interest the general public but may interest scientists.