What Is News?
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News is an announcement of events that affect people or businesses in a community. It may be a report about a crime, a new law, or even a natural disaster. People like to hear about things that are important or interesting to them. It is also important that the information is accurate and factual. If a person finds inaccurate information in the news, they will likely never trust that source again.
The word “news” comes from the Latin novem, meaning now. It is the idea of what is happening now that is important to a person or community. News is often written in a newspaper or on the radio, but can also be found online. It is also often shared on social media platforms.
What makes a story newsworthy is different for everyone. Some people find the death of a celebrity interesting, while others are interested in the inauguration of a president. A person’s age, sex, religion, or political affiliation can influence what they consider interesting. Some people even prefer to listen to one source of news over another, depending on their personal viewpoints.
Many theories have been developed on what constitutes news. One theory is that a story must be new to be considered newsworthy. This includes information that is known to have occurred days or even weeks earlier, but is not reported on until now. This is why some journalists and editors make a point to cover the most recent news.
Other newsworthiness factors include exclusivity, bad news, conflict and surprise. Exclusivity refers to stories that are unique and available first to the news organisation. Bad news is stories that have particularly negative overtones, such as deaths, injuries and losses. Conflict refers to stories that involve arguments, splits, controversies, strikes and insurrections. Surprise stories are those that are unexpected, intriguing, surprising and/or remarkable.
When writing a news article, it is important to remember that the audience will determine what is interesting and relevant. When creating an article, it should be short so that it can be read quickly, clear so the reader understands what is being reported, picturesquely so the reader will be able to visualize what is being discussed and accurately so they will be able to use the information in their daily lives.
While it is true that people can vary as to what types of news they prefer, a general consensus has emerged that good journalism should be: