News is information regarding current affairs. This can be provided through a variety of mediums: writing, print, broadcasting, postal services, electronic means, or by the oral testimony of various witnesses and observers to happenings. The main purpose of news is to inform the public about what is taking place. In some cases, it is to disseminate or publicize information regarding events that have taken place, usually through the medium of print or broadcasting. News is therefore an ever-changing body of information with a wide range of content and audience.
In journalism, a news article is a brief summary of important information with a topical focus. Most newspapers, magazines, and news channels devote a considerable amount of their space to news stories and feature stories. It has been said that one’s interpretation of any given piece of news is partly based on the six values of newsworthiness. These are authenticity, truthiness, inclusivity, fairness, and objectivity. These values form the basis for determining what news is worthy of being published or aired and thus what information is newsworthy.
Although the term news is often used colloquially, it is an appropriate term to describe any significant event occurring in the world today. A person can be a newsworthy individual or an actor, politician, naturalist, clergy, teacher, homeowner, or business owner. All who seek to inform, educate, enlighten, or entertain the public through newsworthy items are newsworthy individuals. Just as the six values are the basis for deciding what is newsworthy, so too are the following characteristics that help to define what is news: significant harm or good that has been or will be experienced by the reader/viewer, action or reaction towards the subject of the news item, newsworthy event that is or was happening at the time, and an interest in that subject. Taken altogether, these qualities make anyone a newsworthy person and increases the likelihood that the reader/viewer will decide that something is newsworthy based on what the source tells them.