News is information about current events and happenings that are either interesting, significant or important to people. It may also provide analysis and interpretation of a situation as well as different viewpoints from experts in a field. News is an essential part of any society and plays a critical role in informing, educating and entertaining its audience. News is found in print and electronic media – newspapers, magazines, radio, television and the Internet.
Not everything that happens is newsworthy. Something that happens every day, such as a man going to work or eating breakfast does not usually make the news. It is the unusual and extraordinary things that happen that make the news. The death of Mao Tse-tung, for example, made the news because it was so unexpected and significant.
The information that makes the news is selected by people who work for a newspaper, magazine or radio station. They are called editors, news directors or even news managers. They sift through the information that has been collected by reporters and other employees to decide what will be included in their news story. They also decide the order of stories to appear in the newspaper, on the TV news line-up or posted on the news Internet site. The decision-makers are often called gatekeepers because they keep people out and those who should be in.
People are interested in all sorts of news stories. These include:
Famous people: The lives of prominent men and women are always of interest to many people. They are especially newsworthy when they fall from grace, lose their wealth or are involved in scandal.
Health: The general public is always interested in information about their health – how to stay healthy and what medical procedures are available. They are also interested in the latest research about diseases, hospitals and clinics.
Sex: Although it is not generally talked about openly, sex is a topic that most societies are interested in. It is the reason there are so many sex magazines and websites.
Crime: Any kind of criminal activity is a major source of news because it affects everyone. It can be a burglary, an accident or murder. News about a police officer in trouble or an arrest is big news.
How and where people get their news has changed. In the past most people got their news from traditional print and electronic media – newspapers, magazines and radio and TV. But now with the emergence of the Internet it is possible for anyone to create and publish news.
In the future it is likely that even more ways will be used to report news. For example, it is now common for people to capture news on their cell phones and share it through text-messaging or micro-blogging networks like Twitter. This change in how news is produced and accessed can actually alter the meaning of what is considered newsworthy. It is useful to read a variety of news sources, from many countries and cultures, to develop a fuller understanding of how the world works.