News is information about a recently changed situation. News is presented by newspapers, magazines, radio and television. News should not entertain, but should inform and educate. Entertainment comes from other areas – music and drama programs on the radio; crosswords and comics in newspapers.
A story is news if it meets the following criteria: It must be new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. It must also be significant to your audience – for example, it should affect their lifestyle or the lives of their friends and family. It should also be local – it must have happened close to home, involve people they know or involve people from their community.
Research the topic you are writing about extensively to get a thorough understanding of what is happening. Then write a snappy headline that will catch readers’ attention and seize their interest.
Use an inverted pyramid structure to organize the facts about the topic, putting the most important information at the top of the article. Include a works cited page at the end of your article to give credit to your sources.
When quoting someone, it is good practice to use their full first name or initials (as opposed to their middle or last names). This will help the reader to recognize the person’s voice. If you are using a quote from someone who is famous, make sure the name is in quotation marks. This will help to prevent plagiarism and avoid misunderstandings if someone else uses that same exact wording in another piece of work.