News is information about events, activities or issues of concern to a community. It is usually reported in a newspaper, magazine or broadcast on radio or television. News can also be found on the Internet and social media sites. Traditionally, people have transported news through oral channels but recent technological and social developments have increased the speed and extent of information transfer and changed the nature of news.
The most common topics of news include war, government, politics, education, health, business, economy, the environment, sport and entertainment as well as quirky or unusual events. However, the content of news will vary in different societies and may even be rejected by some audiences (Eddy, 2022).
There are many aspects that can make something newsworthy but timeliness is one of the most important factors. News stories need to be current and give details about what is happening now. It does not do any good to write about an event that happened a week ago because by then the public would have already moved on and is talking about other things.
A news story must be unbiased and not influenced by the writer’s opinion. In order to achieve this, it is best to let the subjects of the news speak for themselves. This can be done by interviewing them or by using quotes from their public statements. This can be especially effective when it comes to controversial issues, such as a new law or the death of a celebrity.
Another aspect of news is its dramatic and emotional content. Dramatic stories can be made up of a wide variety of events, including break-ins, robberies, burglaries, accidents, explosions, fires, floods, earthquakes and terrorist attacks. These stories attract readers’ attention because they often involve high-speed events and the risk of personal danger.
Other dramatic news stories can be based on natural disasters, such as tornadoes, hurricanes and tsunamis, or environmental catastrophes like oil spills and volcanic eruptions. These stories are also of interest because they have the potential to affect a large number of people.
Entertainment and light human interest stories also make good news. They can include sex, showbusiness and sport as well as lighter human interest stories about animals or offering opportunities for humorous treatment or witty headlines.
A big challenge for journalists is to balance the need for a wide range of different news stories in the same publication, with the need to keep readers’ attention. Too much of a particular type of news can quickly become boring and lose reader interest, so editors must always be aware of the audience’s needs and try to strike a balance.
