The Purpose of News
News is information about current events or affairs that affect a wide audience. News can be in the form of a newspaper, magazine article or radio/TV broadcast.
The main purpose of News is to inform people about important, sometimes controversial events. News can also be used to educate readers about issues of interest and to provide entertainment. Often, entertainment comes from the form of humour or a story that is amusing or exciting. It is important to remember that a large part of the purpose of News is to create and sustain curiosity in the reader. The headline of a News story is usually the most important part of the article, as it must be catchy, evoking emotion and/or creating curiosity. The body of the story is then written to fill in the gaps and provide further information about the topic.
In addition to the five Ws (who, what, where, when and why) it is important that a news story contains a sense of time and place. The events or circumstances that make up the news story must have recently occurred or be currently happening. This is one of the key criteria that gatekeepers of news consider when deciding what and how to report.
People who get their news from a variety of sources will have a more open perspective on the world around them. They will also have a better understanding of how the same story can be presented differently. For example, if you normally read the local paper and only listen to the national radio station, you should try to make a point of occasionally checking out some different newspapers or turning on cable TV news.