News is the information that is important to a group of people or an entire population. It is a means of spreading knowledge and it plays an important role in maintaining democracy and good governance. It can also influence public opinion and promote or discourage political actions. News can be delivered in any medium including print, radio, television and the Internet.

News can also be a form of entertainment and can include stories about sport, movies, TV shows, fashion and the arts. It can also be a way to keep citizens informed about the government and their laws, the economy, education, health, the environment, weather and natural disasters. It can also be about the activities of famous people or events that are taking place in a city or country.

Some of the things that make news are the same across societies, such as war and conflict, public health, politics and government. Other things that are newsworthy can vary from society to society, such as what is unusual or unique. For example, if dogs are usually eaten in one society then it would not be newsworthy when a man bites a dog. However, if a rare insect is found living on a plant that it never previously lived on then this could be newsworthy.

A well written news article will present a factual account of an event or situation and should not contain any personal opinions. It should have a clear structure and be easy to read. It will usually follow the inverted pyramid format where the most important details are provided at the beginning of the article, with additional details added as the story develops.

The sources of news can vary from official government publications and announcements to private individuals, organisations and groups. Some of the most prominent news sources are government-owned, such as the BBC, Al Jazeera and China Central Television. Other news outlets are privately owned, such as commercial and community radio and newspapers. In addition, there are a number of specialised news sites and online news services.

In order to make a story interesting and informative, journalists need to be aware of how people consume their news. This is because news articles are often consumed on a time-limited basis. It is not enough to report something that happened a week ago; the community will already have moved on and will be looking for new information.

The key to creating a successful news article is making sure that it has impact. This is determined by the amount of interest the story arouses in its audience. The way to achieve this is through a variety of factors such as proximity (did it affect a large number of people or involve them in some way), controversy, prominence and currency. It is also important to consider how the audience perceives the source of the news, such as their ideological biases and the various pressures that they are under.