News is information about events that have occurred, are occurring or will occur. It includes information about politics, business, culture, sports, the environment and science. News is a form of communication that is widely distributed through a variety of media – newspapers, magazines, radio and television. It is also available online.

The content of a news story is determined by what is important to the public and what is happening in the world. It is important for journalists to know what their audience wants to read about. News stories that have a large following will be published more frequently and will have more impact. News that is not of interest to a newspaper’s audience will not be published and will be forgotten about quickly.

To write a good news article, the writer must research the subject thoroughly. They must be able to find interesting facts and figures that will add credibility and authenticity to the article. The writer must then write an outline of the article, and then a draft. This draft must then be revised. The final version of the article should be proofread to check for errors in information, consistency in style and tone, and appropriate formatting.

People are interested in news about their own country, their region and the world. They want to be informed about things that will affect them or their families, such as economic problems, natural disasters, health issues and war. They are also interested in the lives of famous people and the problems they have to deal with.

Some of the criteria for a news story to be considered significant are its proximity, prominence, controversy, conflict and public debate. Other important factors are the effect the event will have on people and the potential for change.

The main purpose of news is to inform. It is not necessarily to entertain – entertainment can come from other sources, such as music and drama on radio, and cartoons and crossword puzzles in newspapers. In many countries, a free press is seen as an essential part of democracy. It is also a means of challenging government control or regimes.

A free press is often a target of political and social regimes, but even if it is banned, people can still access information through other sources, such as the Internet. This has enabled citizen journalism, where ordinary people report on the news they witness. It can be a useful supplement to traditional news media, as it is usually more immediate and can provide local perspectives on global events. It can also help to expose false or biased reporting by conventional news media. This can be particularly important in developing countries where the mainstream media is controlled by the state. This is a common problem in Latin America, where there are few independent newspapers. The emergence of the Internet has been a major factor in the growth of global news media. It has also helped to bring together disparate news sources, and has made it harder for governments to control the flow of information.