News is current information about interesting, significant and often unexpected events that happen in a society. It can be reported in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. It is also widely available on the internet. News is usually objective and seeks to inform, although it may also entertain.
The newsworthyness of an event is a matter of personal judgement and differs from person to person. For example, if a man falls off a ladder and is seriously injured, this will probably be newsworthy in one society but not in another where the falling of a ladder is not uncommon. The newsworthiness of a story is also affected by the relative importance attached to the event and its consequences.
Writing a news article is a complex task because the author must be able to identify and report the key facts of the event whilst maintaining accuracy. It is important that the writer researches the topic thoroughly in order to ensure that all the relevant information is included. Once this is done, the writer must decide which facts are vital to the story and which ones should be left out.
Once the key facts are identified, it is essential that they are presented in an interesting way. This is important as a bored reader will quickly tune out of the story. Creating interest in the key facts can be achieved by using interesting quotes, photographs and by explaining the background to the event.
As the world becomes more interconnected, it is increasingly important to be able to find out about what is happening elsewhere in the world. There are many sources of international news – from global broadcasters like CNN to local radio and TV stations, from newspapers to online blogs. The internet provides a huge range of news from around the world in just a few clicks, with all sorts of opinions being expressed and perspectives being considered.
The amount of information that is now being published has increased significantly. This is partly because of the 24-hour news channels and partly because of the internet. However, it can be difficult to tell what is really important from the vast quantity of information being thrown at us.
When deciding what makes the news, a good rule of thumb is that something has to be new, unusual, interesting and significant. This will help to make it more likely that the news will be read and shared. Ordinary and everyday events rarely make the news – for instance, if a man wakes up, has breakfast and goes to work on the bus, this is not newsworthy. It is only when something unusual happens that this becomes the case.
The role of the news media is to provide information and entertainment to its readers, listeners or viewers. Entertainment can be provided in a number of ways – by music and drama programmes on the radio, by crosswords and cartoons in newspapers, or by cinema, theatre and carving in art galleries and museums.