News is any information regarding current affairs. This can be given through a number of medium: print, broadcast, newspaper systems, television, radio, or via the oral testimony of experts and witnesses to recent events. The information is usually presented in chronological form, starting from the latest occurring events to earlier times, or in any case it might span over a longer period of time. News is an extremely important part of our lives. It is continuously changing and evolving like a tide.
It can be said that news serves as a filter through which the public opinion about any given issue is formed. The very conception of news is an attempt to convey to people what is happening in the world at a particular point of time with reference to some particular topic. News is the ‘language of the masses’, as the saying goes. In this modern era, almost everyone has access to the world-wide-web and thus all kinds of news items can be sent to them either by email or by SMS. News items can be posted on the website of the news agencies or they can be distributed through regular means such as newspaper, magazines, or radio or TV news bulletins.
A news story is usually a brief report of some event that has taken place. For instance, if a train derailed under heavy snow, the news media would first inform the general public about the accident and then focus on the weather conditions that gave rise to the disaster. A good example of a breaking news story is the earthquake that struck Kunduz, Afghanistan, which claimed the lives of more than 250 people. There were conflicting reports about the number of deaths, but it is estimated that around 300 people lost their lives. A number of global media organizations like CNN and The New York Times broke the story and immediately published the casualty figures.
News is an extremely popular medium amongst the people because it helps them to know if there has been any major political or social change in their region or in the world at large. For instance, if a new university has been established in any city, the local residents will get updated with the latest news about that university. They will know about its commencement and about the people involved in it. This form of communication helps the people stay well informed about all kinds of happenings.
One of the reasons as to why people get attracted towards news is because it is a form of entertainment for them. They look forward to reading the news items whenever they get time because breaking news items are not always welcome in some circles. If one cannot watch a particular news program or channel on television for a given period of time, they might not be able to wait for that news item to come out on another channel or paper. Thus, they rely on news syndicators and news readers to refresh their knowledge about any topic of interest.
In addition, people do not only get interested in reading news items pertaining to the current affairs, but they also like to read news items with a sensationalist slant. News items that depict criminal affairs, sensational news items and even news items that portray acts of terrorism are some of the types of news that catch people’s interest. The thrill of reading news items that depict sensationalist slant to it keeps many readers hooked to newspapers, magazines and news channels. Readers who want to know more about the recent development in their locality or anywhere else around the world are always keen on getting updated news items and news bulletins. They subscribe to different news channels so that they can keep themselves well-informed. Breaking news items in newspapers and magazines are also read by those people who do not have access to television or the Internet for getting news.