News is information about events, situations or activities that are important and interesting to a wide audience. It can be found in newspapers, news magazines and on television or radio. A free press is considered the oxygen of democracy because democracies require a public that is informed about what’s going on in their country and around the world. News is typically based on facts but can be shaped and biased by the opinions, beliefs or preferences of those who write it.
Almost everyone has some kind of bias when it comes to what they think is important or newsworthy. Some believe that the goal of news should be to reflect reality, while others have a more political view where the purpose is to promote certain things and influence people’s opinions. The truth is that the news is influenced by all of these factors.
There are a few basic characteristics that all news stories share, whether they are being written for a newspaper, magazine or television show. These include timeliness, drama, impact, proximity and narrative. Events that are not timely or do not have an impact on a large number of people usually do not make the news. For example, missing the bus on your way to school and having to walk the entire route does not qualify as something newsworthy. However, if you missed the bus and came across a litter of baby tigers that needed help, it might be a story that makes the 5:00 pm line-up on local TV news.
People want to read about things that have a dramatic effect or are a bit scandalous. They also want to know if the event is happening close to home. If it is a celebrity or famous person involved, that is an added appeal. The timing of the news is also important, because people don’t want to be reading about yesterday or last week’s events. They want to hear about what’s happening now or tomorrow.
The story should also be a bit unusual or bizarre to attract attention and interest. This will ensure that it stands out from all of the other hundreds of headlines people see on a daily basis. In addition, a good news article will contain the five Ws of who, what, where, when and why. This will give the reader a better understanding of what happened and why it is significant to them.
It is best to get your news from a variety of sources. This includes newspapers and magazines, television and radio as well as the Internet. In addition, it is a good idea to use news aggregators so you can see the different viewpoints on a particular story. This will help to eliminate some of the bias that exists in the news.
