News is current information about events obtained by journalists in an objective manner. The news must be reported accurately, fast and without personal bias. The term “news” applies to a variety of media, such as television, radio, newspaper and magazines, although the majority of current news is published online.
The news is reported and presented to the public for their awareness, education and entertainment. It presents events that are either happening right now or have happened in the past, and can also include opinions, reviews and analysis. The news is a means to inform and educate, as well as to create public interest and debate.
It is not easy to decide what makes good news and what doesn’t. Many things happen all the time, but they are not necessarily newsworthy. For example, a man wakes up, gets dressed and takes the bus to work: this is not newsworthy because it happens every day and is not unusual. However, if that same man is a world famous scientist who discovers an insect that could save the lives of millions of people, this would be newsworthy.
An event must be new, unusual, interesting and significant in order to make the news. A man being elected president of the United States is a very big news story, but the same man being elected mayor of a small town will not be. A robbery at a jewellery shop is a crime that will be of interest to the general public, but a break-in at a home is not.
Some events may be more important than others and it is the job of journalists to decide what is newsworthy and what is not. The biggest stories will be given top priority and featured on Page One of a newspaper, while the rest will appear later in the paper and in less detail. This is because the public will be more interested in these stories and this will increase readership.
The way that a story is written is also important in deciding whether or not it will be newsworthy. Veteran reporters are skilled at using all of their senses to capture the essence of a newsworthy event in words. They listen for telling snippets of conversation and dialogue, and watch for images and details that give the news a human face. Writers of news articles should be concise and avoid rambling, as this will only confuse readers and make them lose interest.
It is a good idea to read a selection of different newspapers and news websites in order to get an impartial view on current events. There are also news aggregator websites that will provide you with a range of articles from different sources. However, it is important to remember that even the most reputable and comprehensive news source has its conscious and unconscious biases. These can influence the kind of stories that are covered, how they are presented and how comprehensive the coverage is.