News is the information about current events that people receive through newspapers, magazines, radio and television. It is also available on the internet and from a variety of electronic media. News is important because it gives people a picture of the world around them and helps them to make sense of the changes that are taking place. It also lets them compare different points of view.
There are certain things that always make news – a coup in another country, for example, is a major event. But what is newsworthy also depends on the society that you live in. If something is not a usual occurrence in your society, it will be newsworthy. For example, it may not be significant to a peasant farmer that a particular bug is attacking their crops, but it will be newsworthy to the archbishop of a major church.
In general, news is about people, but it can also be about the environment, money, health or other social issues. The most interesting stories are about unusual or unexpected events.
It is important to get a story quickly to the public because it will lose its impact if it has already happened. That is why in a newspaper the best news stories are above the fold (the crease that forms when the paper is folded). It’s also important to give readers what they want as soon as possible. This means that a sensational or controversial headline will catch their attention, but it needs to be supported by facts in the article.
