News is information about events that have happened, are happening or will happen. The word is also used to describe current affairs programmes on television and radio and the reports that are published in newspapers, magazines and online. News is a vital part of the media cycle as it informs, entertains and influences public opinion. It is important that people are able to read and understand the information they receive so that they can make informed decisions and be a part of a healthy civil society.

Historically the news has been distributed by professional journalists who work for commercial or governmental organisations. However, with the emergence of the Internet and other technology it is now possible for anyone to publish and share news. This has led to an increase in the number of independent, non-profit and community-based news outlets. People are also increasingly accessing the news through a variety of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

The first step in writing a news article is researching the topic extensively. It is important to gather as many facts about the subject as possible and then decide what are the most important points to include in the article. The key is to include enough information that anyone who reads the article will be able to form an opinion, even if it is different to your own.

Once you have established the main facts of your article it is a good idea to write an interesting headline and byline. This will help to draw the reader in and is a way to make the article stand out from other similar news items. It is also a good idea to include a short lead paragraph that summarises the story and includes many of the basic facts. The lead should be clearly written and punctuated, preferably using Associated Press style guidelines unless your publication specifies otherwise.

You should then start to structure the article into sections with titles and sub-titles. This will help readers to navigate the article and find what they want quickly. The best stories are usually placed above the fold in a newspaper (the crease where the page is folded) and at the top of an online article.

Generally speaking, any crime, accident or disaster is newsworthy if it has caused harm to an individual or affected the lives of a large number of people. However, certain crimes such as rape or murder are more newsworthy than others such as a burglary or road traffic accident. Similarly, the actions of famous people can be newsworthy if they are controversial or unusual.