News is information about current events. It is conveyed through various media, such as newspapers, radio, television and the Internet. People use these mediums to keep informed about what is going on in their local and national communities as well as in the world. People may also read news stories for entertainment purposes.

It is important for people to get their news from reputable sources. This helps them to avoid being misled and gives them an objective perspective on the issue. News articles should be written in a formal tone and not contain personal opinions. They should also contain facts sourced from interviews and research and follow the inverted pyramid structure–putting the most important information at the top of the article and then following it with less critical information.

One way to determine whether or not a piece of news is newsworthy is to consider how many of the five criteria for newsworthiness it meets. A story that is new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people will be more likely to be newsworthy than a story that is not.

The subject matter of a news article can vary widely depending on the topic. Common topics include war, politics, education, health, the environment and business. News articles can also cover sports events, crime, celebrity gossip and fashion.

There are several different theories about how and why news is reported. The Mirror Model argues that news should reflect reality and provide accurate information. The Professional Model argues that skilled people determine what is newsworthy and how to present it. The Bargaining Model argues that the media seeks to influence governmental processes in order to promote public opinion and influence government decisions.

News articles must be written in a formal tone and include the proper title of the person being quoted. This is known as attribution. It is also important to include the full date and time of the event in the story. If the event is still ongoing, then it should be marked as a developing story or breaking news.

A news article should begin with an interesting or dramatic anecdote or fact that will grab the reader’s attention. It should then quickly provide the nut graph–the heart of the story that answers the five Ws (who, what, where, when and why). This will give readers an idea of the significance of the news item.

After the nut graph, a good news article will contain details of the event in chronological order and conclude with any important or interesting quotes. This format is called the inverted pyramid and is intended to give readers the most important or interesting information first, followed by a more detailed explanation of what happened. It is not uncommon for a journalist to use market research to help them determine what the audience wants to hear about. However, this can be a double-edged sword since it can influence what is considered newsworthy and how the event is reported.