News is a broadcast medium which gives information about recent and emerging events. News broadcasts can come from anywhere and can be used in a wide variety of ways. They are useful for people because they help them stay informed and make them aware of what is going on around them.
In the 20th century, radio and television became important means of transmitting news. Today, mobile devices and cable news services provide people with access to information 24 hours a day. The Internet has also begun to play a similar role. These media can be an effective propagation channel during government crackdowns.
There are two main types of news: hard and soft news. Hard news has an immediate impact on the reader. It usually contains information that is factual and concise. On the other hand, soft news is longer and more in-depth. Soft stories are usually about interesting people or trends in society.
Both types of news can have positive or negative overtones. A story about the loss of life can have a greater impact on readers than one about a conflict among nations. People are attracted to controversies and confrontation.
Many stories are selected according to a set of guidelines. Journalists determine the facts to focus on and decide what to emphasize. Some examples of criteria include ‘exclusives’ and ‘breaking news.’ Depending on the news organization, some exclusives are given first, while others are provided later.
Another factor that may influence news selection is whether it is’relevant’ to the audience. Relevance can be determined by how well the event was covered. If it was reported widely, then it is considered to be relevant. However, if it was covered comparatively less, it might be considered to be less important.
Another factor is how the audience reacts to the story. The more the audience reacts to the story, the greater the impact of the story. For example, a story about a scandal can be considered to be more relevant to the audience than a story about a sex dispute.
Lastly, an element of surprise is sometimes added to a news story. An unexpected event, such as the death of a politician, can be of great interest to many people.
As a result of the various influences on the way news is made, values and definitions of news can be contested. Nevertheless, there are a number of common themes that have been associated with news.
A common theme for news reports is war. During World War II, newspapers and magazines were printed and delivered by mail. This method required a reporter to physically bring the news to the newsroom. Later, news was transferred over the wire services. Eventually, news was manually typed.
Despite the changes in the media, there is still a need for a scientific study of the way news is produced. Several models of news making have been formulated, including the Organizational Model, the Political Model, the Mirror Model, and the Bargaining Model. Each model has a variety of assumptions that are applied to a variety of different circumstances. All of these models have their own unique methods for measuring how the news is influenced.