News is information about what is happening in the world around us. It gives people a sense of what’s important and interesting in their own communities, countries and the rest of the globe. It keeps them informed and aware of what is going on and about different subjects such as politics, science, culture, the economy and more. It is also a way for them to discover and learn new things.

In order to be newsworthy, an event must meet certain criteria. It has to be new, unusual, interesting or significant. It must also be about people, because as human beings we are naturally interested in other humans. It is not the same for non-human events, for example a hurricane, tornado or earthquake isn’t likely to make the headlines, even though they are hugely impactful.

Another characteristic of news is timeliness. It is a story about something that has happened recently, or it is an update of news from the past. It doesn’t do a newspaper any good to cover an event that happened last week; the community has already moved on from that issue. That’s why it is very important to get the latest news as soon as possible, and that’s one of the reasons why we have electronic media such as television and radio, which can deliver news to many people at once.

Whether a story makes it into a newspaper, onto the TV news line-up or is posted on a website is down to the people who decide what information is newsworthy. Depending on the medium, they are called editors, news directors or news managers. They take recommendations from a variety of sources, including reporters and assistants. These people are known as gatekeepers, because they control the flow of information that is deemed worthy to be distributed to the audience.

Drama is a key element of news, so it is very important to have dramatic elements in any news stories you wish to publish. It is the reason why so much of what we read and watch on the TV, listen to on the radio or find on the Internet is about scandals, tragedies, political upheavals and disasters. The drama is what captures our attention and holds our interest.

The other big reason why some events make the news is that they are important. It may be that they are a warning about danger or something is being done to protect the environment. It can also be something that changes the lives of everyone in a society, such as a major health issue or a war. It could be a natural disaster or a man-made disaster, such as a bombing or an accident. It is very difficult to stop these kinds of events from making the news, although some governments are able to shut down newspapers, radio and TV stations. However, the spread of mobile devices capable of connecting to the Internet is making it harder for them to stop the information from getting out.