How to Write Newsworthy Articles
News is information about events in society that is obtained quickly, accurately and impartially and conveyed to the public by journalists. It has a wide range of possible content, from political events to weather forecasts, and is the main form of media in most countries. In democracies, a free press is the oxygen of democracy and journalists play an important role in providing the news that people need to function in their societies.
When writing news articles, it’s best to avoid using opinions or personal viewpoints, as they can be biased and mislead readers. Instead, use direct quotes from those involved in the story or include expert opinions to add credibility. This is particularly important when dealing with controversial topics such as health, religion and politics.
A good way to assess the strength of a story is to check how many of the five news values it meets: exclusivity (is the information exclusive to the newspaper), surprise, impact, prominence and controversy. However, different audiences have varying interests and the same event may have very different news value depending on where it is happening.
For example, a coup in one country will be big news but not as big as a natural disaster in another. Also, a bug on the dinner plate is not interesting but an insect in the field that threatens food crops is a big deal.
