News is the information people receive about what is happening around them. It can be in the form of a newspaper, radio or TV programme or online. It can be about crime, money, health, sport or entertainment.
New, Unusual and Interesting: An event which is new to the readers is a good news story. The more unusual and interesting it is, the greater its value.
Conflict: Everybody takes interest in confrontations between people, groups or nations. War is the highest form of conflict, but stories about other forms of violence are also of interest.
Bad news: A story which has particularly negative overtones is likely to be more interesting than one with positive overtones. It might be about crime, illness, failure or defeat.
Money: Large sums of money, such as fortunes made and lost, school fees, taxes, the Budget, food prices, wage rises and economic crises are all interesting news stories.
Famous people: Prominent men and women make news, especially when they fall from power, lose their money or are involved in scandal.
Health: The latest medical research, hospitals and clinics, drugs and diet are of interest to many people.
Sex: Society’s general attitudes to sex are also of interest.
Audio-visuals: Stories with arresting photographs, video or audio which can be illustrated with infographics.
Shareability: Stories which are thought likely to generate sharing and comments via social media.
Using newspapers, radio or TV to learn about news is a great way of improving your language skills and getting a wider perspective on what is going on in your country. It’s also a great way to practice your reading skills and get familiar with the standard dialects of the country you are learning.