What is News?

News is a way for people to keep informed about what is happening in the world around them. It can be found in a variety of places, including newspapers, magazines, television, radio and the Internet.

Events that make the news are often dramatic, or at least they have a significant impact on a large number of people. This is what gives news its “news value”. News stories are also typically about people, or at least about things that happen to famous or important people. People are interested in what celebrities do, where they live and what their relationships are like. The same is true for other types of figures, such as scientists and politicians. People are also interested in health, whether it is traditional remedies, medical research or diseases, hospitals and clinics, diet and exercise, and sex (although societies do not always agree about what is appropriate to talk about publicly).

The best news articles answer the “5 W’s” (who, what, where, when and why) in a concise way. This is so that readers can quickly get the information they need. They should also avoid burying the lead – that is, presenting information too late or in a confusing way. Finally, it is often useful for a story to have a clear distinction between good and bad characters or situations. This can help the reader understand and relate to the news better. This LAMPLit article does not explore every facet of News, but each section contains a short list of references for those who wish to go deeper into the topic.