News Sources – All About News From The Daily Newsletter
In our world today, information plays an important part in people’s lives. We need information for work, pleasure and for the betterment of society. There are several ways by which we can get news. These may be newspapers, radio, television, wire and satellite TV. All these media deliver news in their own manner.
Based on Oxford dictionary, news is described as the “existing or recent occurrence noted or reported” and is normally presented in the form of a story, news story, feature story, or a piece of information. According to Oxford dictionary, news is usually new or recent news, particularly to a public audience, often broadcast or printed (or transcripted) only to an uninterested audience. The emphasis is on the audience rather than the content of news.
Every newspaper carries some news stories, which are widely circulated. Some newspapers also have special sections, which carry news stories. A good reporter always pays special attention to the news headlines. He/she needs to be aware of what is happening in the news very quickly. To keep up-to-date, a news story is revised or changed as soon as it is published in the newspaper.
A well informed and well practiced news reporter must possess some secret knowledge, besides basic communication skills and computer and oral journalism. Media professionals who have worked in newspaper news departments or newsrooms, know that the job is difficult, involves long hours of reporting, intense research work, and strict deadlines. A news story has to be ready within few days, preferably within 24 hours after the event took place. Moreover, a news report can be prepared very quickly, but still needs to be checked for errors and omissions before it is submitted to the newspaper for printing. It is said that a well-prepared news story is worth a thousand words.
Today, the most popular form of news stories, especially among the general public, are the celebrity stories. These stories are almost always breaking and scoop, as the public demands it. A celebrity’s scandal or misbehavior often makes the news, and almost every major newspaper has a division or staff that specializes in breaking news stories.
In this way we see that there are conflicting elements involved in the profession of news reporting. However, it must be kept in mind that the only reason why any news story becomes news is due to the human interest factor. It is all about the human interest, and if any other factor is present, it will also become news. All journalists are taught to be newsworthy at all costs.