The Importance of News
News is information about significant happenings that affect a large number of people. It is typically reported on television, in newspapers and magazines, by radio or via the Internet. Most people have a strong opinion about what they consider to be newsworthy and often have favorite types of news media.
A story becomes newsworthy when it is new, unusual, interesting and significant. It also needs to be about people, as the vast majority of the events that make the news involve humans. For example, a coup d’état in your neighbouring country is a very important news story. However, if the coup is not very well-organised and there are not many casualties, it might not be as big a news story.
The way in which a news item is presented is also of major importance. Whether it is in print or on TV, or in a newspaper or magazine article, or in an audio-visual presentation on the radio or the Internet, it must be clearly explained and given context. The most successful news items are those that explain complex topics in an accessible way. This is why the inverted pyramid structure is used for hard news, where the most important facts are provided at the start of an article and the details are progressively revealed in subsequent paragraphs.
In a world of ever-increasing specialisation, the ability to present news in an understandable and interesting way is more important than ever before. This has been facilitated by the advent of digital technology, which has changed the role of the audience. Once, audiences were largely passive recipients of news, but now they are suppliers of it. This is because the proliferation of personal electronic devices has allowed them to send information to other people, thus spreading news virally.
Some critics of the mass media claim that they are biased and only report bad news. It is true that journalists have their own prejudices, and that it is impossible to find completely unbiased news. However, market research helps journalists refine what they consider to be newsworthy. It is also true that traditional news outlets are funded by advertisers, which influence what they produce.
News articles are usually written to appeal to both reason and emotion. They are usually written about something that affects or interests a large number of people, such as a natural disaster, political upheaval, economic crisis or sporting event. They also appeal to a sense of curiosity about the lives and activities of famous people. People are also interested in stories about health, especially if they are associated with the effects of lifestyle choices such as diet, drugs or exercise. Finally, there is always interest in sex stories, which are often about behaviour that goes outside society’s generally accepted norms. These days, it is almost impossible to avoid news. In fact, most of us are constantly exposed to it through the various media sources we use every day. Each medium presents news in a different way, which gives the reader a slightly different perspective or sense of what is going on in the world.