News is information about current events, often with some analysis or commentary. It can be delivered in a variety of ways, including radio, television, print media such as newspapers and magazines, or the internet. Some online news aggregators, such as Google News, curate articles from different sources based on their own algorithms. These websites also offer tools to evaluate the bias of a particular source and suggest alternative sources with less biased content.
News has long been a popular form of entertainment and education, and it can influence social and political attitudes. It can also be a tool for propaganda, as governments and businesses use it to manipulate public opinion through carefully crafted messages. The internet allows new to spread at a much faster rate and to a wider audience than ever before, so be careful that what you read is factual and not simply someone’s opinion or viewpoint on an event.
Whether it is a coup d’etat in the next door country or a traffic accident on your street, News has the potential to interest all of us. But what makes a news story important and interesting enough to talk about? Every society has its own criteria for what is newsworthy, but generally speaking a story will have more news value if it is new, unusual, interesting, significant or about people.
All societies are interested in the lives of their prominent men and women – their career achievements, their personal relationships and the children they have. This is why celebrity news usually makes the front page of the newspaper. People are also interested in the weather, and this can be a major factor when deciding what is newsworthy. Food and drink are always of concern, so stories about food shortages, harvest sizes or the launch of a new beer will all get picked up by the news media.
People are also interested in other animals and non-human events, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, cyclones, bush fires and floods. Stories about the environment, ecology and conservation are also very common in the news. Most of these stories, however, focus on the impact on humans and how we as human beings are coping with the event.
As well as reporting on current events, News often covers topics such as politics, business, economy, crime, religion, fashion, sports and health. Government proclamations such as royal ceremonies, laws and taxes are newsworthy, as are espionage stories, wars and natural disasters. Many people also like to keep up with the latest technology, so news about computers and gadgets can be very popular. Many news articles have pictures, which are helpful in understanding and interpreting the information they contain. All news articles should be sourced, indicating where the reporter got their information from – such as an interview, court documents, a Web site etc. This is called attribution and it is an essential part of journalism. It is also important for readers to understand the potential for bias in news they receive, so it is worth investigating sources and seeking out those that are known to be less biased.