News is an event or a development which has not been known in the public before and is of interest to the people. It generates curiosity in the listeners, especially in the case of radio.
The purpose of news is to inform, educate and entertain the reader or listener. Often, this is done with a humorous touch or with entertaining photographs.
Generally, there are two types of news: hard news and soft news.
Hard news is information that is read quickly. It must be clear, brief and concise. Usually, this is achieved by using an inverted pyramid structure that lists the main facts first and then adds information to support those points as you progress through your article.
Soft news is information that requires a bit more time to digest. It may involve a deeper analysis of the topic, a quote from an expert, or anecdotes from people who have been affected by the event.
When writing news, try to focus on a specific demographic or audience. This is important because most news articles are targeted toward a particular group of readers.
The main categories of news include: crime, money, weather, food and drink, entertainment and celebrities.
Crime: Any crime can be news, but crimes involving serious violence and/or unusual behaviour usually make more headlines. Examples of news stories with crime overtones include murder, rape, theft, forgery and corruption.
Money: Any story about money, including fortunes made and lost, school fees, taxes, the Budget, food prices and wage rises is newsworthy.
