News is basically information on current happenings. This can be given through a variety of media: print, broadcast, television, postal services, wire services, or by the oral testimony of witnesses and observers to major events and occurrences. News usually refers to something happening now, as opposed to something that happened last week or even last year. It refers to the recent past and is usually written as a brief overview giving basic information and including some speculation on what might happen or why. The purpose of this sort of article is to give some knowledge to readers, which is relevant for understanding what is going on and where it’s all happening. It informs, notifies, educates, and helps to keep people informed and well-informed.
When it comes to newspapers, magazines, or other mass-circulation publications, news is usually presented as the events themselves with a comment or a graphic that accompanies the matter-of-fact piece. News is meant to be serious and hard-hitting, often containing graphics and photos to accompany the news item. While this type of news can appear many different ways, it usually tends to focus on one thing at a time, such as a local business or political event, and goes little by way of personal opinion or even a description of the event, except what has been reported or mentioned in the news.
A news story will be more credible and important if it contains at least three critical elements: the author or source of information, the news itself, and the evidence or facts that support what has been stated in the news. Without these elements, the news is little more than a glorified advertisement for whatever is being discussed in the news. This can be a difficult task, as the public is bombarded with a wide-range of sources, all claiming to be the ultimate truth, and so when there are problems, the news is often criticized for not giving the full story.