News is information about current events, primarily those that are important or significant. It is typically delivered via mass media, including television, radio and newspapers, but can also be found online. News stories are often presented objectively, with the intent to inform and educate rather than to entertain or inspire. This is in contrast to opinion pieces, which are designed to elicit a particular emotional reaction or political viewpoint. News articles are generally written in the third person, but can include first or second person reference if it adds to the story.

There are five key criteria that determine if something is newsworthy: timeliness, originality, interest, significance and magnitude. The more of these that a story meets, the higher its news value. Timeliness is an obvious factor, with most readers wanting to hear about new and interesting events. This means that many large news sources will focus on breaking or up-to-the-minute news, as this will generate the highest reader engagement.

Other important considerations for newsworthiness are how unusual and interesting an event is, whether it is about people or places. For example, a man waking up, eating breakfast and going to work on the bus does not make good news, but if that same man is involved in a coup in another country, this is very much a newsworthy event.

Finally, it is crucial to know your audience. Most news stories are geared toward a certain demographic, which can be identified by looking at who reads the publication or website you are writing for. This can also be narrowed down further by focusing on specific types of readers, such as a business audience or parents of schoolchildren.