News is information about events, situations or developments that are current. It is often broadcast via television or radio, but it can also be accessed by newspapers, magazines, journals, or the Internet. Historically, news has been transmitted verbally or in writing but technological and social changes have increased the speed and efficiency of transmission and altered the nature of what is considered to be newsworthy.

It is often said that there are five elements to a good news story: they must be new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. However, different people use these criteria in slightly different ways. For example, it might seem that a story about a celebrity getting married would be interesting and significant but not necessarily new or unusual, while the death of a loved one could be all of these things.

Governments have always been interested in controlling the flow of news and have established censorship and propaganda systems to control the dissemination of certain kinds of news. However, as the speed of communication increases and people are more connected, it becomes increasingly difficult for governments to keep up with the spread of news or to control it. This has led to a rise in citizen journalism, whereby ordinary people report on happenings that they feel are important.

People need to know what is going on in the world around them and news provides them with this information. This is why many people read newspapers and watch news broadcasts. It is also why some people have an innate desire to seek out and share information themselves.

The Associated Press is the largest news agency in the world and it is not owned by any company or corporation but is publicly funded and has a reputation for being unbiased. However, the crowd-sourced bias rating at AllSides shows that it tends to lean left.

It is important to understand your audience when creating a news article. This will dictate how you report on a story and will help you decide what kind of information to include in it. You should also be aware of your own biases and try to counteract them where possible.

A news article should have a catchy headline and be short and to the point. The main facts should be placed at the top of the article and above the fold of a newspaper (the crease that can be found down the middle of the page) or at the top of the screen when reading online. This is to ensure that the most important information is seen first and encourages readers to continue on to read the whole article.

It is also important to write about something that will appeal to your audience. This will increase the likelihood of it being shared on Facebook, Twitter or other social media platforms. The more people that a story is shared by, the greater its impact and the more likely it is to be included in a news feed.