To understand news, it is necessary to understand its value and characteristics. Fortunately, there is a handy tool that helps you define the term. The News Manual offers several definitions and links to various sources. It also lists opinions of experts and professionals. Some of these opinions are rational and some are cynical. Others are witty or give practical advice from years of professional experience.
Characteristics
News is the product of information and has characteristics that distinguish it from other forms of media. It is timely, accurate, and up-to-date. This quality attracts traffic, as no one wants to read false news. In addition, news should be fair and balanced. It must convey concern for human beings and the world around us.
Values
News has a set of values that are used to determine what is considered newsworthy. These criteria influence the selection of events and their presentation as published news. They are often derived from the individual values of the events in question.
Distribution
The distribution of news in Australia is dominated by the two largest newspaper organisations and three commercial television stations. However, the rise of the Internet has brought in new players. In 2000, an online news outlet called Crikey was launched. The site has since become more professional and now boasts a range of news and information.
Impact
The impact of news is often underestimated. News can overwhelm us, so we need to learn how to manage it. Luckily, there are a few strategies that can help us process information in a more effective manner. One of these strategies is to reject news that we do not care about.
Scope
Scope of news is the area of a news source in which it is relevant to its readers. Most news sources have an implicit spatial reader scope, a geographical region for which the content was predominantly produced. This spatial reader scope is important for the construction of news search engines and is useful in disambiguating toponyms. The process of toponym interpretation often boils down to choosing an interpretation that makes sense in context.
Sources
There are many sources of news, both traditional and alternative. Television and radio are two of the most common ways to find out what’s happening. Press releases can also be a good source of news. Newspapers have desks that handle press releases and will pass them along to reporters. Press releases can also be obtained via the telephone.