News is the broadcast or published report of current events especially about recent and significant happenings. It is often written to interest and entertain the reader, listener or viewer but should be accurate and objective.
It is the people and their activities which make news, but natural occurrences such as floods, droughts, earthquakes and volcanoes can also be newsworthy. It is usually the human element which makes the difference between a boring story about bugs invading crops or a fascinating piece about a local archbishop’s views on women priests.
People are always interested in other people and this is the basis for many news stories, such as celebrity gossip, crime, wars and political conflict, but even mundane personal details can become interesting if they are unusual or have an impact on people’s daily lives. For example, a person who gives ten cents to a charity is more newsworthy than someone who donates a million dollars.
News can be found in many different formats, including newspapers, magazines and radio but the most trusted source of news are reputable news agencies such as the BBC. Online aggregators can also be helpful in keeping up with world news. However, it is important to note that some news aggregators are run by humans and may have an editorial slant. It is therefore best to rely on the main news sources for the most up-to-date information. Opinionated sources, such as blogs and opinion pages in newspapers, can also be useful for developing a view on a subject and are great for supplementing the main news sources.