News is information that affects people, groups and nations. It can entertain, inspire, shock or inform. It can be about celebrity, fashion, sports, health, business, the environment or politics. It can also be about a natural disaster or human drama. News is most often reported by the media but can also be found in magazines, newspapers and online.

News articles should be factual, unbiased and timely. They should focus on a specific subject and provide the reader with enough information to form an opinion. They should also be clearly written and free from jargon that may exclude or confuse readers outside the subject area. A good news article will begin with a catchy headline that succinctly informs the reader of the topic while grabbing their attention. The story should then move on to the ‘nut graph’ or the heart of the story. This should explain who, what, when, where and why of the news item.

It is important to research the five Ws of the news item and to know your audience. A general news item will have a wider audience than a story on a specific industry or community. To help narrow down what topics to cover, it is useful to review other news articles, watch news stations or shows and note the subjects that are covered frequently. It is also helpful to check if the information you are sourcing has been fact-checked and edited by professionals. This can be done by looking at an article’s author bio, the website of the publication or organisation and reading their mission statement and ethics policy.