News is an important part of a democratic society; it helps citizens keep track of their government and make informed decisions. It also gives them a sense of connection with the world around them. However, a free press is not without its problems. It is easy for journalists to fall prey to bias, either conscious or unconscious. A good way to combat this is to write the news with your intended audience in mind. Whether you are writing for a newspaper, magazine or radio, consider the demographics and expectations of your readers when crafting your news articles.
To be considered newsworthy, a story must meet five criteria: it must be new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. For example, a man who wakes up, makes breakfast, eats lunch and rides the bus to work is not newsworthy; he does this every day. However, if that same man is a prisoner of the Chinese government and can only communicate with his family through secret coding messages, this is very much newsworthy.
When sourcing your news, make sure you get the facts right! It is helpful to think of a news article in terms of an inverted pyramid, with the most important information at the top. Afterwards, you can fill in the other details of the story as a follow up. In addition, it is always a good idea to include quotes from people with unique perspectives on the topic; this will help your reader to connect to the story on an emotional level and understand how it affects their daily lives.
