News is the information about current events that we read in newspapers or magazines, watch on TV or listen to on the radio. It also includes the information that we find on the Internet.
It informs people about what is happening in their community, country and the world. News helps people to make sense of complex issues and allows them to form opinions and decisions.
News often has an element of drama and a clear differentiation between good and bad characters or situations. For example, if someone is robbed at a convenience store, the news story will highlight who was robbed (the good guys) and who did the robbing (the bad guys).
People tend to be interested in things that happen or that affect a large number of people. This is why news stories about natural disasters, wars and political unrest get so much attention. It is also why a large amount of money made or lost in the stock market often makes news.
A final important characteristic of news is timeliness. Typically, the news is something that has just happened or that is the latest information about an event that has already happened.
Traditional news outlets such as newspapers, television and radio used to be the major suppliers and gatekeepers of news and information. However, the advent of new electronic technologies now means that anyone can be a supplier and a gatekeeper of news and information. This trend may change the way that we think about the nature of news and how it is gathered and reported.
