According to Oxford dictionary, “news” is “the latest report of an event that has occurred in the world.” Gerald W. Johnson and William Stead also define news as “a report of something unexpected.” The British Journal defines news as “a report of an idea or event that has occurred in the world.” These definitions are general enough, but it’s best to consider the context of a particular article before writing it.
News is an unpublished account of human activity
News is a report of an event or action that is of interest to a particular audience. Its goal is to inform and entertain its readers. To be considered newsworthy, an event or activity must be previously unpublished and be of interest to readers. It can also be a report of an opinion, idea, or other type of information.
The purpose of news is to inform people about what is happening around the world today. News provides people with information that they can use to make informed decisions about what to do next. A news story can be in any form, from a newspaper to a documentary film.
It must relate to what’s happening in the world
To make news effective, it must relate to what’s happening in the wider world. Some members of the public choose to ignore the news altogether, but most of us build our personal media repertoires that cross the online and offline divides. One influential study noted the cacophony of competing narratives that compete with mainstream journalism. This allows news audiences to cherry pick what they want to believe from an endless source of information.
It must have positive overtones
Good news is news that has positive overtones. For example, good news can be about a breakthrough in a cure for a disease or a victory for a cause. It can also include news about an organisation’s campaign or ideological agenda. In other words, news should be good for people and good for society.
It must be brief
In today’s information-rich world, news reports must be short and to the point. Ideally, the news brief should answer the five Ws and H: who, what, where, and why. For example, a news brief about a supermarket’s grand opening should include who is opening it, when it will open, and why it’s important. The news brief should be no longer than 25 words.