The Value of News

News is information that is new or unusual. News reports can be broadcast via television, radio or on the Internet. Newspapers are among the most prominent originators of news. The news value of any given piece of information depends on several factors. These include the number of people affected, the time of the occurrence and how the story was treated.

Some of the most common stories include war, conflict, death, crime, riot, sports, entertainment and sex. These topics are likely to be of interest to a large group of people. However, the content of the news may differ in different societies.

According to the Political Model, news represents the various political pressures and ideological biases of individuals. A good example is the news on the assassination of Mrs Gandhi. Although it is not the first time such a story has happened, its significance is noteworthy. Similarly, the death of Mao Tse-tung is also newsworthy.

Besides the major news, there are some lesser stories that can be of interest. For example, a 90-year-old man who still takes the bus would be an interesting subject, especially when the news is about a coup d’etat in his own country.

Another newsworthy topic is the discovery of a bug. This may not be of great interest to the general public, but could be a major discovery in a specialist publication.

As a rule of thumb, most news stories are about people. The purpose of these stories is to attract emotional response from readers. They can also be humorous. Entertainment news includes showbusiness, show business, sex, witty headlines and other forms of light human interest.

Oftentimes, a good news story will have positive overtones. It might involve a powerful person, a group perceived as influential or a subject with a particular theme.

One of the most important rules of newsworthiness is that the story must be original. Generally, the news will be about a recent event or a subject that was previously unknown. In addition, the news must be relevant to the audience. If the news is about a governmental crackdown or a coup in a neighboring country, it will have an impact on the stability of the nation.

Other examples of news values are’magnitude’,’surprise’ and ‘exclusive’. Magnitude, for instance, is defined as an occurrence with large numbers, but can also refer to extreme behaviours. Likewise, a surprise story is one that is unanticipated, but has a positive influence on the reader.

On the other hand, a bad news story has negative overtones. It might be about a peasant farmer who makes a comment that is not worthy of attention.

News is fresh and often interesting to a larger number of people. Consequently, the news has a short life. Hence, it is imperative that a story be written or broadcast in a timely manner. Ideally, the story should be significant and have an element of surprise.

Depending on the resources available, the news reporter can choose from many types of stories. However, the best news is the news that is most relevant to the audience.