News is a term used to describe information that is current, interesting and carries some kind of social or political value. This is a very important and crucial aspect of the Information Lifecycle, because it is the basis for much of what people learn about their society and world.
There are many different ways in which news can be described, and each of these has its own set of characteristics that make it relevant to the reader’s needs. Here are five criteria that are usually taken into account to judge the quality of a news story:
Newness: Any event that has not been reported before, is unusual or has some kind of significance, such as a new political leader or a major crime. These are the most important elements in a news story.
Unusualness: Stories that are unusual for their time are more likely to be newsworthy than those which have been happening before. Examples of unusual events would include a woman shaves her head or an Olympic athlete winning gold in a race, but ordinary things like the collapse of a farm wall or the death of a cow don’t generally make news.
Drama: Stories with a strong element of drama are usually the most newsworthy. This is because the reader is more likely to relate to the drama.
Usefulness: News is useful because it makes people aware of the issues that are important to them. It also helps them to become more informed about government policies and their impact on the lives of citizens.