News is information about events and happenings in the world that are perceived to be significant. It can be delivered through a variety of means including newspapers, television, radio and the Internet. While each medium has its own format, there are some basic concepts that are common to all news media. These include timeliness, drama, consequence and proximity. News stories are usually about people, things that affect a large number of people, or things that are close to home.
The information that is considered newsworthy varies with each society. In some cases, the same event can be viewed as more important or significant in one society than another. For example, if a wall collapses and kills a cow but not a pig, it is more likely to be reported in one country than in another because the significance of cattle and pigs is different in each culture.
Most people like to read about famous people and their lifestyles. For this reason, many popular magazines and TV shows feature celebrities and their exploits. It is also often newsworthy when these famous people lose money or fall from grace. The same is true of public figures who are involved in scandals or other questionable activities.
People are interested in their health and wellbeing, which leads them to read about medical research, hospitals, diseases, diets and exercise. They are also concerned about their environment and the safety of food, water and air, which leads them to read or watch news about natural disasters and climate change. They are also interested in the way that other countries and cultures do business, so they read or watch news about foreign affairs and international relations.
News producers try to present information that is as timely as possible, so they can get it in front of the audience as soon as it happens. They also have a strong desire to entertain and keep people’s attention, which may lead them to choose dramatic or sensational stories. Often, they are also under pressure from advertisers to capture the most viewers to sell their commercial spots. This pressure can cause the news to be simplified and overdramatized, which can diminish its value. In the end, a news story is judged on how well it meets the criteria of being new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. This is known as the “news value.” News producers apply this formula when selecting which stories to cover and how they are presented. Ideally, a good news article will be brief so that it will catch the reader’s eye, clear enough to be understood, picturesquely written and above all, accurate.