News
From Free net encyclopedia
News is new information or current events. This article discusses news in the context of journalism. Journalists can join the union called the NUJ to protect them from problems
News can be reported by a variety of sources, such as newspapers, television and radio programs, wire services, and Web sites. News reporting is a type of journalism, typically written or broadcast in news style. Most news is investigated and presented by journalists and can be distributed to various sites via news agencies. If the content of news is significant enough, it eventually becomes history.
To be considered newsworthy, an event usually must have broad interest due to one or more news values:
- Effect (how many people were, are or will be affected?)
- Timeliness (did the event occur very recently?)
- Revelation (is there significant new information, previously unknown?)
- Proximity (was the event nearby geographically?)
- Oddity (was the event highly unusual?)
- Entertainment (does it make for a fun story?)
- Celebrity (was anyone famous involved?)
News items and journalism can be divided in various ways, although there are gray areas. Distinctions include between hard news (serious and timely topics) and soft news (lighter topics); breaking news (immediate events); news analysis; and enterprise or investigative reporting, in which a topic is examined in great detail.
News coverage traditionally begins with the "five W's"—who, what, where, when, why.
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Objectivity
In democracies, news organizations are often expected to aim for objectivity: Reporters cover both sides in a controversy and try to eliminate bias. This is not true of all, as some are expected to have a point of view.
In the United Kingdom, limits are set by the government agency Ofcom, the Office of Communications. Both newspapers and broadcast news programs in the United States are generally expected to remain neutral and avoid bias except for clearly indicated editorial articles or segments.
Many single-party countries have operated state-run news organizations, which may present the government's views. Even in those situations where objectivity is expected, it is difficult to achieve, and individual journalists may fall foul of their own personal bias, or succumb to commercial or political pressure. Individuals and organizations who are the subject of news reports may use news management techniques to try to make a favourable impression.
Etymology
The word "news" comes from a special use of the plural of the word "new" and not, as the common backronym claims, from the four cardinal directions (north, east, west, and south). Old spellings of the word varied widely—newesse, newis, nevis, neus, newys, niewes, newis, etc.
See also
External links (directories of news sites)
- Open Directory Project - News
- Official CNN Website
- All Headline News Newsbriefs Page
- Wikinews Main Page
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