News is information about recent events or happenings, esp as reported by newspapers, radio and TV. It may also refer to an event that is new and unusual but is not of general interest, for example an insect that has been found living on a plant that it did not previously inhabit would only be news in a specialist publication.
Events of a social or political nature make news, such as riots or strikes, wars or peace treaties, elections or referendums, natural disasters, weather or environmental degradation. Crime also makes news, from road traffic accidents and break-ins to forgery and murder but only the most serious crimes make front page news. Money is also news, from fortunes made or lost to salaries, taxes, the Budget, food prices and compensation claims.
The role of news media – whether it be a newspaper, magazine or TV – is to inform and educate its audience. It is not the job of news to entertain – entertainment should come from other areas such as music and drama programmes on radio or cartoons and crosswords in newspapers.
A news article should always be written objectively and without bias. It is important to check facts, especially if writing a piece about people or companies, and it is also a good idea to have your article read through by someone else for spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. In some instances it may be appropriate to include a small amount of personal opinion but in general it is best to avoid this, particularly in an article about people.