News is current information about events, obtained at every moment and everywhere in the world. It is delivered to the public with speed and accuracy. News includes anything that affects the lives of people and has a wide impact in society.

News can be political, societal or entertainment. It is important to read multiple sources of news to get the full picture. News is important because it gives the voice to the disenfranchised and can lead to change. A free press is often described as the oxygen of a democracy because it allows the citizens to have informed choices in their government.

The most compelling news stories are those that involve drama and consequence. For example, missing the bus on your way to school wouldn’t make news unless something dramatic occurred like finding a litter of baby tigers in your path and taking them to an animal shelter.

Commercial television, radio and print news outlets are reliant on advertising for profit so their content is dictated by the needs of advertisers. This is a major cause of conflict in the news industry. For example, if a grocery store in your community is selling dangerous food that may be causing serious illness, the local news station will have to decide whether to cover it and lose some of their advertisers or drop the story because it wouldn’t be as popular with the audience.

When writing a news article it is helpful to ask yourself the five Ws (who, what, where, when and why). This helps ensure that your article will be factual and include all relevant information. It is also helpful to have another person read your article before submitting it for publication. This will help catch spelling and grammatical errors that you may have overlooked.