What Makes Newsworthy?
News is information about a change in circumstances which the public is interested in. It was once transmitted through oral channels, but the development of printing made it possible to convey it in written form. It is now available instantaneously over radio, television, mobile phones and the internet. People need to know about important developments and what is happening in their communities, their nation and their world.
News stories are short, usually only a few lines or less, and they should be clear and picturesquely written. They should also be accurate. However, the information must be interesting enough to keep people reading and sharing it on Facebook or Twitter. This is especially true if the story has a dramatic or controversial element.
Some events, such as wars and natural disasters are global in scope and therefore always newsworthy. Other events, such as a political coup in a neighbouring country, may have more limited appeal but still be of interest to local citizens. It is essential that the writer evaluates how much importance a piece of news has for its audience and then presents it accordingly.
The elements that make a piece of newsworthy are described as the five Ws – who, what, when, where and why. The more these criteria are met, the greater the newsworthiness. The question is, how can the writer decide how many of these factors to meet in a particular situation?
A news article will contain many different types of information, from a major international development to an individual’s sporting achievement. It can be reported in an objective and factual manner, avoiding the use of opinion, or it can contain an editorial viewpoint.
In some cases, the author of a news story may express his or her own opinion in the article, but this should be clearly indicated. In other cases, the journalist may leave it to the reader to form his or her own opinions. A good piece of news writing will be well researched and include a list of sources at the end of the article.
Some events take a long time to become known from one town or nation to another. Others, such as the death of a famous person, happen very quickly and are therefore newsworthy. The everyday routines of a person do not make the news, for example waking up, eating breakfast and taking the bus to work.