News is any important information that has recently occurred and is being reported in the media – radio, television or newspapers. It can also be something that has happened in the past but is still of interest. It can be serious or amusing, but it should always be interesting and should provide readers, listeners or viewers with valuable new knowledge.

People: Prominent men and women make news, especially when they fall from grace, lose their wealth or become involved in scandal. Stories about celebrities, royalties and sports personalities are of interest too, as well as disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones and bush fires. People are also interested in their health and so news stories about traditional medicines, hospitals and clinics, diseases and drugs are of interest to the public. In addition, all societies are interested in sex and so stories about the sexual behaviour of famous people or ordinary people who do things which go against society’s generally accepted standards of morality, make news.

Magnitude: Stories which involve a large number of people or which have a high level of significance, such as wars, political upheavals and natural disasters.

The source of the news is very important. In the past, most of the news was initiated by governments but today this has shifted to a much greater degree to the private sector and to local media and interest groups. Local news aggregators are also emerging, which bring together many of these different sources into one website.