The news is a way of telling stories about what is happening in the world. It can be found in newspapers, magazines, radio and television and is used to inform, educate and entertain. The main role of news is to inform, so it should be brief, clear and picturesque. It should also be accurate, so readers can be guided by it and make the best decision they can in their daily lives.
The value of the news can vary from one place to another and from one time to another, but generally a story has five criteria that it must meet in order to be considered newsworthy: new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. So for example, a walk to school and the sight of baby tigers is probably not a very good news story because it does not happen every day, but if the tigers were injured and killed by humans, it would be very relevant and therefore likely to have a high news value.
Some of the most common types of news include:
1. Celebrity, 2. Entertainment, 3. Weather and 4. Health and 5. Sex
A story about a famous person can be quite an emotional experience for the reader, especially when they are in trouble or have money problems. The lives of important public figures are always interesting and it is usually possible to see how their lives affect society.
In some societies, the news is much more about health and medical research. It is interesting to hear about medicines, diet, exercise and all the latest discoveries in this area.
It is also interesting to read about diseases, hospitals and clinics, drugs and all kinds of health problems. This is a very personal interest, and many societies feel strongly about this subject.
4. Weather, 5. Food and drink
The weather is a big part of people’s everyday lives. It is of interest when the weather is unusual, when there is a shortage or when there are crop diseases and harvest sizes. It is also very interesting when the prices of foodstuffs in the market increase or when a new product is launched.
6. Health, 7. Drugs and 8. Diet
A lot of people are interested in their health and this is a great subject for news. There are lots of ways to do this, such as the latest drugs and medical developments, diseases and treatments, hospitals and clinics and all kinds of health issues.
9. Sex, 10. Show business and 11. Human interests
The news about people, sex and show business is a huge interest for all societies, and it can be very interesting to see how these subjects are treated in the media. It is also a subject that often involves sex and behaviour which is outside societal norms.
In-depth reporting is a kind of news that takes a smaller subject and investigates it. It is similar to straight reporting, but it usually involves a lot of extra research and may involve interviews with individuals involved. It is an excellent way of getting to know a subject better and it can be a very powerful form of journalism.
