When we hear the words news, we usually think of some event that is occurring globally or locally. For many of us, the news is comprised of national and world events such as wars, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, and political conflicts. Another way to look at news is to consider it as the flow of news that informs us of events that are happening today. A brief definition of news is unbiased information that was not known before or current (or recent) news about any person, place, or thing. An example of news could be a newly married couple announcing their wedding at a large family affair.
In today’s culture, one of the most widely used ways to tell the world about something is through the news. Newspapers, TV, and Radio stations all aim to inform the general public about events that happen around the world on a daily basis. As stated above, some news stories are considered more important than others. These types of stories are labeled “unusual” or “strange.” In the news, unusual stories become newsworthy, which gives them the ability to become viral, spreading across the internet via social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, or by reaching news desks of newspapers and TV stations.
Defining and measuring newsworthiness depends largely on what type of reporting a news outlet chooses to do. Broadly, there are two types of journalism: news reporting and news evaluation. News reporters and editors work together to tell the public about significant events that have taken place and are continuing to take place, while evaluating those events for their validity and relevance. This process is heavily dependent on the work of journalists with different professional backgrounds including writing, research, video analysis, sound recording, and social-media marketing.
It must be noted that any type of news that makes news may make people angry. There are times when a news story makes a headline in the newspaper and makes the readers of that paper furious, which is why most newspapers run a story by stating: “It’s news you’ll want to hear.” While anger is not generally good for anyone, some newspapers have identified that it makes sense to be upset about things that make you mad, such as natural disasters, political corruption, or even cosmetic surgery gone wrong. These types of things might seem to be completely trivial to you as a reader, but they are newsworthy to those who are concerned about the way things are being covered and reported.
Another type of current event reporting involves something more serious, such as crime or safety issues. When this type of news makes the headlines, readers will look for updated information on the local crime rates, possibly driving up the demand for crime reporters. Likewise, when there are unusual occurrences, such as the hijacking of a flight at an airport, or terrorist activity, it also will make for a story worthy of reporting. Many newspapers and magazines will publish stories of all types, covering everything from labor disputes to strange death occurrences. Most journalists realize that while entertainment is the overall purpose for writing a news story, it is also important to provide information needed by the public in order to act and react responsibly.
The final type of news story that many newspapers will pursue sports. Whether it’s a story about a major sports player or a local sport scene, it seems that the sports reporting in many papers is vastly more entertaining than any other type of reporting. Sports coverage seems to appeal to the hearts and minds of all ages and demographics. Even though there are a lot of listeners who prefer to listen to the evening news, many readers still crave high quality journalism, including sports and entertainment. Many people are turned off by the format of television news, but people who are truly interested in getting the news simply cannot get their news from the limited amount of reporting that the media provides. While many journalists realize that the audience for their reporting is limited, they also know that they must continue to write new stories in order to keep their readers up to date with what is going on in the world.