A note left to give you the news (6)
I believe the answer is:
report
'the news' is the definition.
(report is a kind of news)
'a note left' is the wordplay.
'a note' becomes 're' (as in do-re-mi).
'left' becomes 'port' (left side of a ship - opposite of starboard).
're'+'port'='REPORT'
'to give you' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for report that I've seen before include "Explosion" , "A crack" , "Make a formal complaint" , "Short account of the news" , "School student's assessment" .)