News is information about what is happening around you, whether it is about politics, sports or entertainment. It is a medium that is widely used and is available in print, on television and the radio as well as on the internet. It has the power to change people’s opinions and attitudes towards certain issues. It also helps people to make informed decisions by providing them with the facts about various topics. The media also has the ability to educate and entertain people by playing music, drama or presenting news in a humorous way.
There are many definitions of News, but most of them share some common characteristics such as timeliness, drama, proximity and narrative. They are about current events, about people, about places and are usually in the form of a report or an article. News is usually written in an abridged form to allow the reader to understand the main point of the story. Journalists follow a principle called the “inverted pyramid” where the most important details are placed at the top of the story, and then build up to more detail further down the page. This allows readers to get the main points quickly and easily, while still having a detailed article for later reference if desired.
The news media is often accused of sensationalism, but it is important to remember that its job is to inform and educate the public. This is not necessarily entertaining, although it can be amusing. Entertainment comes from other areas of the media such as music and drama programmes on TV, cartoons and crosswords in newspapers.
Generally speaking, a piece of news will only be considered interesting and important enough to be reported if it meets the following five criteria: newness, uniqueness, drama, significance and humanity. It is also helpful if the event or story has both good and bad aspects, and is clearly identifiable as one or the other. For example a story about a robbery will be more interesting if it is clear who was the victim (the good guys) and who the robbers were (the bad guys).
In order to ensure that the news is accurate, journalists check the accuracy of the information before it is published. They also try to avoid bias and ensure that their work is fair and balanced. There are many sites online that will provide information about the bias of particular sources and recommend ways to counter it.
People are interested in stories that are about people, particularly famous persons. They are also interested in the health of their fellow citizens and are therefore interested in stories about traditional remedies, medicine, hospitals and clinics, diseases, diet and exercise. Finally, all societies are interested in sex stories, although they may not discuss them openly. These types of stories often involve behaviour that goes outside society’s general accepted standards. This makes them controversial and therefore newsworthy.