What is News?

News is a written or spoken report of current events. It can include information on war, government policy, politics, education, the economy, business and entertainment. It also contains weather reports, natural disasters and crime. Many people get their news from TV, radio, newspaper and the Internet.

The news can be informative and enlightening, or it can be dull and boring. Usually, the best stories are those that inform and educate. This does not mean that they have to be serious or factual all the time. A little bit of humour can make an interesting story. The main job of the media, whether newspapers, magazines or radio is to keep their audiences informed.

If something happens that affects a large number of people it will be reported in the news. This could be a flood, earthquake, riot or war. It may also be the loss of a celebrity or an important figure. Other things that make the news are changes in the weather – extreme hot or cold or rain or wind – or other environmental issues such as pollution.

Another major type of news is sport, especially when it involves a team or individual who is well known or a favourite. This type of news often generates excitement and interest. People like to follow and analyse the performance of their favourite players or teams.

Some news is not about people or places but about things – such as the price of oil, the size of the economy or the latest computer technology. These things are interesting because they can change our lives.

Many news stories are about a person or place that is doing or has done something unusual, interesting or significant. A coup in a foreign country can be very big news, but a war in your own country is not as significant unless it directly affects you or your family.

There are many sources of news, from the local newspaper to the international broadcasters. The Internet has changed how we get our news, with most people now using social media sites such as Facebook to find out what is going on in the world.

There are also specialist websites that provide news aggregation, which collects information from different sources and presents it in one place. These sites can be useful to students researching a particular topic as they can help them find the right kind of news quickly and easily. For example, the site Google News allows users to browse and search for articles from a wide range of news sources including newspapers, wire services and blogs. Other news aggregators include LexisNexis Academic and Proquest Historical Newspapers. These sites contain archived news from a range of sources and are usually free to use. They can be very useful tools when writing an essay or research paper. However, it is always wise to check the reliability of a source before using it in your essay or research paper.