News is the process of reporting current events to the public. It is usually presented as a story, but it may also be reported in other ways such as in an editorial. It is the responsibility of the media to present News in an objective manner without bias and with a view to encouraging informed discussion and debate.
In order to be newsworthy, an event or development must be both unusual and significant. It must also be sufficiently new and topical. In the case of an event, it must be reported within a reasonable time after it has occurred. For a development to be considered newsworthy, it must be likely to have an impact on the lives of the people involved.
Generally, News is about people rather than non-human things because it is people’s actions and reactions which change the world. However, it is possible for non-human things to make news such as a flood, a fire, an earthquake or a hurricane.
Other things which can add to the newsworthiness of a story include exclusivity, magnitude, conflict and surprise. Exclusivity refers to stories generated by, or available first to, the news organisation (interviews, letters, investigations, polls and so on). Magnitude is about an event’s scale or impact – for example the number of people involved or the severity of the damage caused. Conflict refers to stories with particularly negative overtones such as controversies, arguments, strikes and war. Surprise is about the unexpected or strikingly different – for example, a discovery, a new invention or a celebrity scandal.
If a news story contains quotes from people who have been directly involved in the event or development, it can provide a greater level of detail and interest for the reader. It is important that these quotes are attributed correctly and that the author of the news article discloses their relationship to the subject matter.
The conclusion of a news story should contain a restatement of the leading statement or thesis and, if appropriate, offer a potential future impact on the subject matter. It is also useful to include a brief bibliography of sources for further reading or information.
News articles are usually written by professional journalists but individuals may also write them. They can be published in newspapers, magazines and online. They can be written on a wide range of topics including business, sport, politics, religion and social issues.
As more and more people gain access to the internet, online news has become a popular medium. This has led to the growth of local and specialized online media as well as news aggregators which combine multiple media sources into one place. The internet has also led to a wide variety of social media sites which allow users to share news and views on current events. The internet has also changed the way people consume and digest information, as it allows them to access news more easily and quickly. This has also led to a rise in citizen journalism where people report on local news stories that are not covered by the mainstream media.