News is a collection of information about recent events, people and developments. It is usually presented in newspapers, radio, television or the Internet. The decision on which of these sources will be used for a story is the responsibility of a person who works in the news organisation. They are called editors, directors, or news managers. They take recommendations from reporters, assistant editors and others within the organisation.
When the time comes to make a decision on what will become news, this individual takes into account a number of factors, including the timing of events, whether there is a possibility of conflict and, as with most things in life, the opinions and beliefs of the reader. The most important thing for a journalist to keep in mind is that what they put out into the world should be credible, objective and fair.
This means that news should not be biased in any way by a reporter, editor or other staff member. It should also be truthful to the story and the readers.
A good news story should grab the attention of readers immediately, with a strong hook or headline. This should be followed by a series of key facts about the subject, and the article should be concluded with an opinion or recommendation to further research the topic.
The key to a good news story is to find out the facts about a particular topic and then write an interesting, well-written report on them. This may include interviews with people involved in the story, quotes from experts or other sources of information and other information about the subject to help round out your reporting.
In the News Manual we have a page on definitions of news. Here are some of the more common ones:
Currentness (Timeliness)
The most important characteristic that a news gatekeeper considers when selecting content is its timeliness. They want to be sure that the news they are putting out is fresh and up-to-date, so it should be something that is happening now or that has just happened.
Drama
Much of the news we read in newspapers or magazines, watch on TV, listen to on the radio and find on the Internet is dramatic. It highlights events that have good and bad characters or situations, and often has a clear difference of opinion between them.
It is this feature of news that makes it such a popular and compelling form of communication. It helps the reader to know what is going on, and understand the situation better.
In the past, news was transmitted primarily in newspapers but is now also spread across all forms of media, including television, radio, and the Internet. In the digital age, audiences have a more active role in selecting and disseminating news stories. This has influenced journalists’ own news selection decisions, and has led to new challenges for both the audience and the journalist, such as the proliferation of fake news and disinformation on social media platforms.