What Is News?

News is information about events, people and places that affects or is of interest to a large section of the public. Historically news has been transmitted through word of mouth, but now it is also available in newspapers and magazines, on television and radio and via the internet.

Typically things that make the news are events that involve dramatic elements and have clearly identifiable good and bad characters or situations. For example, a story about a robbery at a convenience store will highlight who was robbed (the good guys) and who did the robbing (the bad guys).

A common criterion for what qualifies as news is whether it is likely to have a significant impact on society. This could include stories involving war, environmental damage or the discovery of new scientific information. Stories that have a sense of urgency appeal to readers, as do those that relate to celebrity. Finally, the time factor plays a role in what is considered to be newsworthy. A story that is already out of date won’t be of much interest to readers.

It is a good idea to vary the sources of your news, so that you can get a range of perspectives on different issues. For example, if you normally read the newspaper, it might be worth trying out some cable TV news channels to see how they present the same events. This may give you a broader understanding of the different ways news is presented and perhaps change the way that you, yourself, view the world.