News:

Introduction:
The term news comes from the word new, written in old English either as newes or
news. It is said that the letters in the word NEWS is derived from the four
directions as indicated below:

North
East
West
South

This shows that news can come from anywhere. News is the report of a current
event, something that was not known, information of recent events and
happenings. According to Michael Schudson, a researcher of journalism history in
the United States, the idea of news was created during Andrew Jacksons
presidency (1830s), tied to the idea democratization of policy, expansion of market
economy and growing power of urban middle class. The developing then penny
press treated news as current, accurate and complete information, focused on daily
matters and personalized (human interest story). After the invention of the
telegraph and the establishment of the first press agency, Associated Press (1848),
news was understood as objective and based on fact information.

News is a report of a current event. It is information about something that has just
happened or will happen soon. News is a report about recent happenings in a
newspaper, television, radio or internet. News is something that is not known
earlier. From all these, we can safely define news as a development that has
happened in the past 24 hours which was not known outside and which is of wide
interest to the people and that which generates Curiosity among listeners. News is
any event, idea or opinion that is timely, that interests or affects a large number of
people in a community and that is capable of being understood by them. At the
extreme, everything new is news to someone. News has dimension and
perspectives according to time, place and type of publication and interests of
audience.

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 Definition of News:
To report an event as it occurs

According to Oxford Dictionary

News information, the report of the latest incidents.

According to Longmans Dictionary

Report of what has most recently happened.

According to American College

A report of any recent event or situation and as the report of events published in a
newspaper.

According to Lord North Cliff

If a bite a man it is no news but if a man bites a dog it is news.

According to Webster Dictionary

The report of the latest event is called news.

According to Fraser Bond

An incident is not news in itself; instead its description is news.

According to Jack Fuller

News is a report of what a news organization has recently learned about matters
of some significance or interest to the specific community that news organization
serves
According to Peter E. Mayeux

News is what people need and want to know

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 Elements of News:
While dealing with news, two stages we have covered so far.

First, to see what we call news, what actually is news?

Second, to understand those features that convert an ordinary event or statement or

opinion into news

The elements of news are

Accuracy
Meaningful
Interesting
Factual
Objectivity
Conciseness
Clarity
Comprehensiveness
Cohesiveness

Accuracy:
Information must be accurate. When we say a news item must be accurate we
actually mean that whatever we are required to produce as news or whatever we
are being given in the name of news to believe in, it must be correct in every
crumb of its details. The name of people given in the news must be correct. The
name of place given in the news must be accurate. The dates, days, time of any
incident must be accurate. Language, structure, statement given in the news must
be accurate.

Meaningful:
The news should be meaningful and must make any sense. It also implies that it
must carry any one, or some of them, or all of news values we have gone through.
The news must show their meaning for common man. If any person read news then
they easily understand their meaning. The news must show their purpose in short,
the news should be purposeful.
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Interesting:
The news story, especially to be broadcast on radio, must be written and presented
in such a way that the listener may not get bored. It is quite a difficult task to be
managed when it comes to writing and presenting a news bulletin since news is
something that can never drift away from the principals of accuracy and
objectivity.

Factual:
The news story must base on the incident or statement which has actually taken
place. The most important element to be cared for and taken into serious
consideration while presenting news is its being factual and truthful.

Objectivity:
Besides being accurate and factual, a news story needs to be to the point as well
through may be a part of the incident, should be brushed aside. Another thing that
is important to be considered while making the elements of objectivity certain in a
news story is that it must not be given personal touch or flavor.

Conciseness:
When it is said, a news story must be concise, it means, it should not be
unnecessarily lengthy. Where unnecessary details are to be avoided. One word
substitution saves the space and time both.

Clarity:
The main objective of news is to keep the listeners in picture of what is happening
around them and in the world. And the purpose is achieved only if clarity is there
clarity. Easy on tongue order of the words, and correct and clear pronunciation are
the keys factors employing which the goal of making news clear and
understandable may well be achieved.

Comprehensiveness:
If something is comprehensive it means that it is complete by all regards and
aspects. A news item is considered comprehensive only when it answers every

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possible question that may arise in the minds of listeners. As a general principal to
make a news story comprehensive and complete-five Ws and one H are to be
satisfied. The actually stand for: what, when, where, why, who and how.

What happened?
When happened?
Where happened?
Why happened?
Who did it?
How did it happen?

Cohesiveness:
The last but not the least one is the element of cohesiveness. It means that the order
of the details to be put in a news item must be in proper order. The news must be in
uniform form.

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