News is information about events and affairs that take place in the world. It is a major source of knowledge and information, especially for citizens in a democracy. News can inform and influence public opinion and debate. It can also promote social change. It is usually presented in the form of articles or broadcasts and consists of facts, opinions, images and videos.
Traditionally, newspapers and news broadcasters have been expected to aim for objectivity; reporters claim to try to cover all sides of an issue without bias or personal point of view. However, this is difficult to achieve, especially during times of crisis and uncertainty.
The news media are interested in stories that are relevant, controversial and have a wide impact on society. This is often known as hard news and may include politics, wars, business, crime or natural disasters. In addition, people are often interested in news about famous people and their lives. For example, people are curious about what celebrities and politicians do in their spare time and how they act in public. People are also interested in health and are eager to learn about medical developments, traditional remedies and treatments, hospitals and clinics.
A successful news story starts with a captivating anecdote or surprising fact. It then places the new developments in context by describing the bigger picture. Finally, it explains why this is important for readers to know. This is called the nut graph and is usually one or more paragraphs long.