News is information about current events or affairs. It may be reported in newspapers, magazines or on television and radio. It is usually written objectively although some opinions may be expressed. The main aim of news is to inform and educate people about things which affect their lives.

A story is newsworthy if it is unusual, interesting or significant. It must also be new. This means that it cannot have happened before, or have been reported in a previous article. However, something which has been known for a long time can still be newsworthy if the facts are discovered, or if they are reported for the first time in an accurate way.

The most important thing to remember when reading the news is that you should be able to draw your own conclusions. If you read something in a newspaper which you think is overblown or sensational, consider other reports on the same subject to compare and contrast opinions. It is also worth looking at news aggregator sites which display articles from multiple sources and use algorithms to filter out bias. This will enable you to get a broader range of viewpoints without having to filter them yourself.

When writing a news article, start by gathering as many facts as possible about the event or story you are reporting. Use questions like ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘who’ and ‘where’ to frame your article. Make sure you are including all the key details and avoid making statements which could be easily contested or inaccurate. It is also best to write in third person and to avoid using personal pronouns like ‘I’ or ‘you’.

Local and regional news will often be of more interest to people than national or international events. However, national papers will still report on major world events that affect the majority of people, such as wars or disasters. They will also report on sporting and entertainment events which are of wider interest.

People and their behaviour are the centre of most news stories, but other things can make news too. Weather conditions which affect daily life, shortages or gluts of food and changes in the supply of energy are all of interest to readers, listeners and viewers. The development of art forms such as music, dance and theatre makes good news, and the launch of new products such as cars or computers is often reported.

The nature of the news will vary from one society to another, and different events will hold more or less importance in different places. However, the basic elements are the same – what is interesting, what is significant and who is involved. Whether or not a piece of news is entertaining will depend on the audience and the method of delivery. Music and drama on television and radio and crosswords and other puzzles in newspapers are all forms of entertainment which have a role to play alongside the news. In addition to entertaining, the role of the news is to inform and educate.