News is information that is new and important. It is broadcast on television or radio, printed in newspapers and magazines, posted online, yelled across a classroom or shared over social media. It can be a story about something that is happening locally, nationally or globally. It can also be a political event, an accident or a tragedy. News is meant to entertain, educate and enlighten the public.
Whether or not this is done well depends on the skill of the journalists and the quality of the news outlet. Often, the definition of what is newsworthy can be influenced by the journalist’s prejudices or the interests and beliefs of the news outlet. It is therefore hard to find completely objective news stories, although there are some websites that claim to provide unbiased reporting.
The strength of a news story is measured by its “newsworthiness”. A strong news story will be new, unusual, interesting, significant and about people. It will also be brief and clear so that the readers or listeners can understand it, picturesquely written so that they will appreciate it and above all accurately reported so that they will be guided by it.
It is worth remembering, however, that the purpose of most news outlets is not to entertain the public but to inform and educate them. Entertainment is better served by other channels – music and drama on television and radio, crosswords and cartoons in newspapers.