What Is News?
News is information about an event or situation that is relevant to the public, reflects the world in which people live and provides a link between the world and the audience. It is also a type of media that can be used to promote or challenge an idea, opinion or view. A news story should be accurate and unbiased and based on the facts and not opinions.
In order to be newsworthy an event needs to have one of more of the following qualities: it is new, unusual, interesting, significant or about people. It may also be timely and have a high impact or incorporate violence and scandal. In addition, the event must be significant for the local community and involve someone prominent or influential. Finally, it is often a good idea to have a picture to go with the article as this will attract attention and increase readership.
The content of News varies from society to society, but there are some general rules that can be applied. For example, “Dog bites man” is not news, but “Man bites dog in the Middle East” is. What is interesting depends upon the cultural context – for instance, what is important to a peasant farmer will not be of interest to a city dweller. However, what is unusual will be of interest everywhere, and for journalists it is a matter of judgment as to how significant or not an event is.
Some events are of major importance for the nation and will feature on Page One of the newspaper, while others are of lesser significance and may be included on an inside page. It is important that the news is accurate, but it is equally vital that there is a balance of stories and that the best of them are not sensationalized.
Similarly, an issue that is of national importance should be covered in detail by all newspapers, while smaller issues are better served by local and specialized publications. In the case of a national publication, its readership will be much wider and it will therefore need to cover a greater range of topics than a newspaper catering to a specific community.
In summary, the main purpose of News is to inform readers about current affairs and to alert them to events that may affect them in their daily lives. In the case of a national paper, this is usually done through coverage of international news and sporting events and in a broad range of other articles. It is important to remember that, whatever the type of newspaper, the aim is to influence and persuade the readership. This is achieved by providing factual and balanced news that appeals to the reader’s emotions and intellect. In addition, the quality of the writing is vitally important to a newspaper’s reputation. This includes a clear and concise headline, the use of appropriate language, and the fact that statements and opinions are attributed to a source.