News is information about current events. It is reported by journalists and distributed through various media, such as newspapers, magazines, radio and television. It is also disseminated through the Internet and mobile phones. News usually concerns matters that are important to a large number of people. It has the potential to influence their lives in some way and so is important to them. It is usually presented objectively and factually, although opinions may be expressed. It should be interesting and informative. It should be delivered briefly so that the reader can read it in a short time, clearly so that the reader can understand it and picturesquely so that the reader can recall it.

There are a few basic characteristics that all news has in common, regardless of the source or whether it is in print, on the radio, on TV or on the Internet. These include timeliness, drama and consequence, proximity, and narrative.

People are interested in what famous persons do and how they live, what their children are doing at school, and what is happening to those who hold power or wealth. People are also interested in health news, such as new cures for diseases and hospitals or clinics that are doing good work. Many societies are interested in news about sex, even though they may not talk openly about it.

It is important for people to get their news from a variety of sources. If they tend to only read one newspaper, they should try to find a few other sources of news and to compare them in terms of how quickly the news is updated and how interesting it is.