With 24-hour news stations and the internet, people can be exposed to many different types of information. It is important for writers to know how to create news content that will capture readers’ attention and keep them engaged throughout the story. A well-written news piece will include a main point, supporting facts and contact information. It will also be short, concise and easy to read. This type of content is more valuable to the audience than a long, winding story that goes off on tangents and doesn’t provide much value to the reader.
In general, anything which is new, unusual, interesting, significant or about people can be news. However, there are other factors that must be taken into account when deciding whether something is a good story. For example, it might be interesting to a scientist that an insect has been found living on a plant it did not previously inhabit, but this would probably only interest a small niche audience. A more general news item might be that a coup has taken place in the neighbouring country, which could affect the stability of that country and therefore be of public interest.
The amount of time that has elapsed since an event makes a difference to its newsworthiness. A man waking up, having breakfast and catching the bus to work does not make news, as it is neither unusual nor significant. But if the man is 90 years old and still catching the bus to work, this does become newsworthy.
It is also necessary to have a clear idea of the audience for the news you are writing. This will help you decide how much detail and how much background to include in the story. For example, a story about a local politician’s latest political scandal may not appeal to the masses but could be of interest to a specific group of voters.
Finally, it is essential that the news you are writing is current. It does not do a newspaper any good to report on a story that happened a week ago, the community will already have moved on and it will not be considered particularly interesting or important. However, a disaster that is happening right now and has the potential to affect the lives of everyone in the area should certainly be reported on.
When writing a news item, it is best to put the most important facts at the top of the article above the fold (the crease from where the paper is folded). This will ensure that people who only read the headline will still get a lot of the key points. This will encourage them to read the rest of the news and ensure that they have a full picture of the news item. It is also recommended to follow up the main facts with any other relevant information, such as contact details, additional facts about the topic or people involved and quotes from interviews.