News is the latest information about current events and issues. It is usually reported in newspapers, on TV news programs and radio or posted on a news Internet site. Whatever the format, there are certain characteristics which all news stories must possess in order to be considered “newsworthy.” These factors are called news values and they include timeliness, drama, consequence, proximity and narrative. The news value of a story also depends on its relevance to the audience.
Whether or not something is newsworthy can be quite a subjective decision, and different people will have their own ideas of what makes for good or bad news. However, there are some general principles which most people would agree on when describing what is considered to be newsworthy. Those who work in the news business or who regularly read/watch/listen to the news as audience members have some basic understanding of these characteristics.
When it comes to deciding what is considered to be newsworthy, the people who make this choice are known as gatekeepers. Depending upon the medium, they may be referred to as editors, news directors or even news managers. These individuals are responsible for determining what is included in their organization’s news offerings, and they take input from many other employees, including reporters and assistant editors.
In some ways, the type of news that is presented reflects the views of the organization’s owners and advertisers. However, despite these influences, there are some things that all good news organizations try to do when making their decisions about what will be included in the news they broadcast or publish.
The first criteria that is used to determine what news is important is how recent the event or issue is. In most cases, if something happened more than a few days ago, it cannot be newsworthy, unless it is being reported for the first time. This does not mean that news reports cannot be about older events, but it is a good rule to keep in mind when considering what might qualify as the latest news.
There is often an element of drama in most news stories, or at least some sort of tension or controversy. It is this kind of dramatic content that attracts viewers and readers and helps a story to stand out from other news items. It also helps to keep people interested and engaged in the stories being told, which is why many people like to read or watch the news.
The final piece of the puzzle is how significant or important the story is. In other words, is it something that will affect the lives of a large number of people? How much is at stake, either emotionally or financially? How about the impact of a particular disaster or conflict? All of these factors are taken into consideration when deciding what is newsworthy. They are the reasons why some stories become headlines, while others remain in the background.