News is a timely and accurate account of an event or development that is interesting, important, significant, or of public interest. The word “news” is used to describe a range of stories, from local events such as fires and car accidents to major world news like wars or natural disasters. News is often a source of entertainment for many people, and can be found on a variety of media including newspapers, radio, television, and the Internet.
News producers work to produce news that is compelling and engaging for their audience in order to capture the attention of advertisers. This is why so much of the news you see and hear today has an element of drama or controversy. News that is purely factual may not be as exciting but is necessary for the survival of democracy and freedom in a society.
What makes a story newsworthy is often the impact, proximity, controversy, or currency of the subject matter. Impact is based on how many people are affected by the subject, whether they are directly or indirectly involved. Proximity refers to the location of an event or its effects on nearby communities. Controversy is generated by the existence of disagreement or tension over a topic and can generate interest in the subject of a news story. Currency refers to the level of interest a subject holds for an audience at any given moment.
Different media outlets report news in slightly different ways, which can provide an opportunity to compare and contrast a range of perspectives on the same event. Online news aggregators like Google News can be an excellent way to find out about global news stories as they happen, without having to rely on human curation. Large international news agencies such as the BBC are also good sources of globally relevant information.