News is current and interesting events reported in a fast, accurate and objective manner to the public. News can be in any form – written or oral and is available on various mediums including newspapers, radio, television and the internet. The main purpose of News is to inform and educate. However, it can also entertain – music and drama on radio or television, cartoons in newspapers and crosswords in magazines are often used for this purpose.
People are interested in stories about famous people – their lives, what they do and how they look – especially if they are involved in scandals. People are interested in entertainment – shows, animals and human interest stories all make news. People are also interested in the world around them and like to keep informed about things that might affect their lives – for example Covid-19.
Money is a topic that people are interested in – fortunes made and lost, school fees, taxes, budgets, food prices, wage rises and compensation claims all make the news. People are also interested in health – traditional remedies, medical research, hospitals and clinics, diseases and drugs. Sex is a subject that all societies are interested in, though it is not usually talked about openly and therefore makes the news only when it is strange or unusual.
There are many theories about what makes an event newsworthy. Galtung and Ruge’s model of six factors is widely accepted. More recently, Brighton and Foy (2007) have attempted to update Harcup and O’Neill (2001) with an eight-point matrix that is intended to apply to the context of digital media.