What Makes News?

News is information about events or developments that are important, interesting and/or significant. It can be broadcast on television, printed in a newspaper, posted online or even yelled across a classroom. Generally, it must be new, factual and relevant to a wide audience in order to qualify as news. Whether it is a story about a company replacing its CEO or about the latest terrorist attack, news should be presented in an interesting and engaging way so that people will want to read it.

News articles can contain a large amount of information, so it is often difficult to determine which facts are most important. It is up to journalists to decide which points should be highlighted, and which should be omitted. One way to do this is by interviewing the subject of the story. This allows the subjects to express their own opinions on the matter, which can be a valuable source of information.

A popular theory about what makes news is that it involves a mixture of shock, conflict and familiarity. Other theories focus on a number of factors, including exclusivity, magnitude and relevance.

It is also essential to know the target demographic for your news content. Depending on the type of news, this may be obvious, such as a local event aimed at people in a particular area. However, it can be more complex if you are writing a piece for a national newspaper. In these cases, it is important to consider what type of people will be reading the article, such as business owners or housewives.