How to Write Newsworthy Content
News is current events that can be communicated to the public via print, postal systems, broadcasting and electronic communication. News may be about a local event or a national or international matter. News is also information that has the potential to impact people’s lives and that can be considered “hard” or “soft.”
Some of the main characteristics of news are timeliness, drama, consequence, proximity and narrative. It’s important to understand how all of these elements work together, whether you’re working in the news business or simply consuming it as an audience member.
The first step to creating news is understanding your audience. This will dictate the voice, tone and style of your article. Knowing your audience also helps you determine which facts should be included in your story. For example, if you’re writing about a house fire, it’s best to put the most important details at the top of the article—or above the fold, as it is known in newspapers. This will ensure that people reading online will get the most valuable information upfront, rather than having to read through a lengthy story with tangents and winding sentences.
It’s also important to understand that any information in a news story must be attributed to its source. This is usually done through direct quotes or paraphrasing. If the information in your article comes from a government report, for example, it’s essential to include where that information came from. This will give readers a greater sense of credibility and reliability.