|
NEWS is the one of the best known commodities in today’s world. Everybody who understands a language and has access to mass media recognizes it. The concept of NEWS must have existed even before the beginning of the era of mass media.
“Mass media” in India is that part of the Indian media which aims to reach a wide audience. Besides the NEWS media, which includes print, radio, TV. The internet is playing an increase role, along with growth of the Indian blogging community.
When two friends meet after sometime they exchange information which can be called personal news. Letters written to friends and relatives carry what can be described as news by them. This kind of information exchange is continuing since early days of Human Society in one form or the other.
Mumbai blasts on the 13 July, 2011, were big news. That news was important because of the importance of terrorism and the innocent victims who died in the blast. Other factors were there, but the biggest news value of that event was the human interest in the incident.
But even ordinary death of an ordinary old man will make news at least for those who know and are related to him. It may not appear in the news paper but it will be news to some people.
The four letters of the word “NEWS” have been described as representing the four directions – North, East, West and South. NEWS can come from any of these directions. But as we see every day all events do not make news. Only important and interesting events make news. Further, an event itself is not news – it becomes news when its account is available.
Not only events but opinions also make news. Opinions of Indian political leader Sonia Gandhi about terrorism in the world makes news. The opinion of the man in the street about the budget makes news. Editorial comments by important news papers can also make news for other news paper coverage of the Indian Prime Ministers visit in the media of the country visited will make news in India.
The word “news” is plural form of the word ‘new’. It denotes new things i.e., fresh things.
“If a dog bites a man – it is not news, but
If a man bites a dog – it is news”.
The first one is natural (A dog bites a man); it happens in every place; it had happened in the past; it is happening in all the countries. But the second one is ( A man bites a dog) unnatural. It is a contrary happening. It is a new event, so it is called news.
Reporters gather news from different places in the country and also from abroad.
|
Participants