The job of news is to inform its readers, listeners or viewers. It is not necessarily to entertain them, though entertainment does often form part of a news story.
An event must be new, unusual, interesting and significant to qualify as news. Otherwise, it is not likely to catch people’s attention.
Definition
News is information about events that affect the lives of people. It can be either positive or negative and has the power to change the way people think about their world. It can also influence the decisions that they make in their daily lives.
News can be transmitted through many different mediums, including television, radio, newspapers and the Internet. It can also be broadcast live, allowing people to receive current news as it happens. This is called breaking news, and it is a major function of modern media.
Traditionally, news was collected by a journalist and then delivered to a newspaper or magazine for publication. But the advent of new technology, such as the Internet and mobile phones, has changed how we gather news and how it is distributed.
While most news is about people, it can be about other things, such as cyclones, droughts, volcanoes and earthquakes. This kind of news is more likely to be of interest to a large number of people, because it can affect them all over the country.
Controversy often makes news, because people like to read about conflicts and arguments. Stories of prominent people, such as politicians, film stars and sports players are also a good source of news, because readers have an interest in them. People are often interested in stories that involve human interest and emotions, such as fear or love.
Purpose
News is a source of information that keeps us up to date with what is happening around us. It helps in educating us about the serious topics of life like politics, business, education, foreign affairs etc. News also helps in guiding us as it conveys the message to do right and avoid wrong things. It carries entertainment news too which is light in nature like fashion, movie reviews, hobby columns and sports news.
News can be found through many sources like newspapers, radio, television and mobile phones. It is the job of journalists to find out these sources and report them to the public. Sometimes there are some things that people want to keep secret but the public ought to know about and it is the job of the journalist to investigate these matters fairly but fearlessly.
News is also important because it allows us to compare how different countries or cities are doing. This is especially true in today’s global economy where certain countries rely on each other for trade or resources of economic significance. News about what is going on in other places can help us understand each other better and appreciate cultural differences. The rapid advancement of communication technology has made it possible for news to be broadcast instantaneously across the world. This is a significant change from the days when newspapers and newsprint had to be physically brought into a newsroom or transmitted over wire services before being typed and put in print.
Format
News articles are a type of writing that reports on current events. These events may be local, national or international. In addition to reporting on news events, news articles often contain information about legislation, education, discoveries or research, elections, public health and sports.
News writing is different from other types of written work because it uses a specific structure and is generally written in third person. It also uses short sentences and a style that is easy to understand. It is important to write news in a way that is easy for the reader to read, because otherwise they will lose interest.
In a news article, the most important information is placed at the beginning of the article. This is called the “inverted pyramid” format, in which the most important details are listed first. Then, as the story progresses, more detail is added. Finally, the least important details are added at the end.
A news story should always include the main facts of an event. This includes who, what, when, where and why. It should also include a quote from a source. This can be someone who knows a lot about the topic or from someone who has experienced it. Also, it is good to use an image. This can add to the story and make it more interesting for readers.
Audience
For many journalists, audience awareness is a key element in the process of making news decisions. They may discuss the story’s impact on readers and how it will affect their work, often before they have gathered much of the information for the article. The goal of this dialogue is to make sure that the story will resonate with audiences, and that they will be interested in reading it.
However, audiences are not a static concept, and even those who share journalists’ interests and political viewpoints may not be equally receptive to the same story. In addition, audiences vary by gender, age, race, religion, education and economic background. These differences mean that there will be a wide range of people who have read or heard the story, and each will respond to it in a different way.
For example, a news story about the President’s affair with Monica Lewinsky might have a greater emotional impact than a similar one about the murder of an entire family. The latter story would likely have more of a rational impact, but it might not be as interesting to readers. This is why the importance of the truth is so critical for the success of any news story. Audiences are more willing to accept truthful information than to read or listen to false or embellished stories.