News is an important part of our society. We need it to keep up with what is going on around us, and it helps people to decide which issues they want to focus on. It can also be helpful to understand the different opinions and attitudes that people have toward certain topics and events.
A news story is a report of an event or development that happened in the past or is currently happening. It is a type of written communication that can be in the form of a magazine article, newspaper, or broadcast on television or radio.
Some types of news are more popular than others, and the value and interest in different kinds of news can vary greatly. These categories are called ‘news values’ and the value of a story can be determined by whether or not the following five criteria are met:
Unusual, interesting, significant and about people
Stories which are unusual and which have some significance are generally of interest to most people, even if they are not specifically aimed at them. For example, a scientist might find an insect which is living on a plant that it does not usually inhabit and which has not been seen before. If the scientist is a specialist in that insect, this could be a big news item for him or her.
It would be very unlikely to make any great impression on the average reader, and it might be worth a few words in a specialist publication or a short item of news on a radio or television programme. However, if the same insect was discovered in a new and unknown land and it had a great appetite, then that would be quite a significant story for scientists, and would merit a substantial headline.
Celebrity and entertainment: Famous men and women are often of interest to many people, as are animals, show business and human interest stories. It is not uncommon for a well-known person to become involved in a scandal or to lose money or power, and this may be newsworthy.
Health and medicine: News about the medical sciences, drugs, diet and exercise, hospitals and clinics are all of interest to many people. It is especially newsworthy when a cure is found for a disease or a disease is treated successfully.
Sex and sex-related stories are also of interest to most people. Despite the fact that many societies do not discuss sex openly, it is still very newsworthy when a woman or man behaves in ways which are not considered acceptable by society’s norms.
Breaking news:
Some events are considered to be very important when they happen, but are not always newsworthy, and the news value of an event can change over time. For example, a war in Iraq can be an extremely important event and a major news story.
The news value of an event can also change over time if it happens again later in the same country, such as a coup d’etat in your own country.