News is something that people read or watch on TV, listen to on the radio, see on a news Internet site, or learn about in other ways. It is current, has just happened, or is the latest information about what is going on in the world.
There are different forms of news, and they appeal to different kinds of audience members. Newspapers tend to rely on printed words to convey their stories, while television and radio use moving video images or spoken words to get their message across.
They also differ in their appeal to logic and reason, with newspapers appealing more to people who want facts and details, while television and radio appeal more to people who are interested in emotion and drama. It’s important to understand these differences, and how the medium influences the way people respond to news.
When deciding what to include in a news story, journalists look at several factors that determine the value of the news, including: timeliness; significance; controversy; prominent person; currency; oddity; and emotion.
Timeliness: The more urgent the situation, the more interest it generates. For example, if someone is killed in a fire, it will have less impact than if 100 people die from the same incident.
Other factors that determine the quality of a news story are the importance of the topic, the credibility of the source and the audience. For example, if you write a report on the recent death of Mao Tse-tung, make sure that it is reputable, has facts and figures that support your points, and is well-written.