CONCEPT AND DEFINITION OF NEWS

UNIT STRUCTURE

1.1 Learning Objectives

1.2 Introduction
1.3 Concept of News
1.3.1 Definition
1.4 Types of News
1.5 Let us sum up
1.6 Further Readings
1.7 Answers to check your progress
1.8 Possible questions

1.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this unit you will be able to:

• define news
• classify the different types of news

1.2 INTRODUCTION

With the boom of the news media viz. newspapers, news channels and
news portals, news has become an important part of our daily lives. The
term news must be familiar to all of you. But as a student of Mass
Communication, your understanding of the term ‘News’ has to be deeper
and more comprehensive than what the common man understands by this
term.

In this unit you will learn about news not just from the point of view of a
layman, but from the point of view of a journalist. Here we will introduce you
to the concepts of news, the different types of news, qualities of news,
sources of news etc.

We hope, after going through this unit, you will be able to have the basic
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concepts of news clear to your mind. So let us concentrate on the sections

given below.

1.3 CONCEPT OF NEWS

“News” is probably one of the most commonly used terminologies in our

day to day lives. All of us invariably use this term quite often while talking to
our friends, families, relatives and other people, without perhaps, knowing
what actually constitute news. Innumerable activities and events are
happening simultaneously round the clock across the world.    But have you
ever thought why the news bulletin of the day carries only a handful of the
events or activities that have taken place during the day, which we call as
news? Have you ever tried to understand why out of the hundreds only a
few items find a place in the newspaper that you read everyday and you
invariably call them news? What about the rest of the happenings that fail to
make it to the news media?

In a country of billions like India, why your television channel is obsessed

with only a few faces, probably a few politicians, a few film stars, models,
scientists, bureaucrats, etc. Why only a few people and events get reported,
and not the rest? Why don’t the media inform us about every little detail of
whatever is happening at any place in the world and at any point of time as
part of its responsibilities?

Well, in journalistic parlance the word “news” has certain connotations. All
events, incidents, activities or happenings around the world can not qualify
as news. In order to call something news there has to be certain elements
present in that event or activity or incident. Therefore, let us first understand
what can be called news.

1.3.1. Definition of news

It has been impossible to formulate one common and all

encompassing definition of news which is universally acceptable. This
is because the meaning and scope of news has been changing with
the passage of time and also differs according to the political structure
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of the state.

Perhaps, the simplest way to define news is that, news is all that is
happening around us in the different directions, north-east-west-south,
and together all these make news. However, if one is to believe this
statement then he or she will have to maintain that every incident
happening in our society, no matter how big or small or whether
emanating from a renowned person or common men, must be
considered as news. Yet, when we see the different news media, we
can probably question the validity of this statement. Therefore, we
need to reconsider this statement and modify it by saying that -

News is something new, something relevant and important, something

immediate or something unusual happening in our world that concern
us or our society in some way or the other.

Now does this explain all the doubts creeping in your minds? There
should be something fresh or new about the event like a discovery, an
invention, an innovation, a new project taken by the government for
the uplift of people, an impending danger, a natural disaster, an
accident, a crime taking place in the society and so on and so forth.
They always make good news stories . A new fashion in vogue,
announcement of new products in the market, a change in habit or in
taste of people of the society, etc are also news as they signify changing
trends, eventually making them relevant for larger segments of the
News Story:
society.
News report or
material which goes
In fact, everything can be called ‘news’ provided it holds immense
into the newspaper.
value for or affects the lives of larger masses. An unusual event like
Not to be confused
the records of the Guinness Book may also qualify for news. The
with tale or novel or
actions and activities of members of Parliament or Legislative
fiction.
Assemblies is also of concern to people as they are people’s
representatives conferred with the power to rule and guide the masses.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines news as ‘the report or account

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of recent events or occurrences, brought or coming to one as new

information, new occurrences as a subject of report or talk.

Therefore, having discussed all these we can draw a conclusion by

defining news as information about an event that happens in the society,
which affects the lives of the people or has the tendency to affect the
lives of the people, directly or indirectly, or has immediate value for
larger segments of the society.

However, what we have discussed so far are only some of the

characteristics of news. Apart from these, there are some other
qualities as well, by which we can identify news. In journalistic parlance
these qualities are called News Values.

LET US KNOW

Some Interesting Definitions and Quotes

• ‘NEWS is what interests a good newspaperman.’
- Geraid Johnson, The Sun, Baltimore
• ‘When a dog bites a man it is not news, when a
man    bites a dog it is news.’ - John Bogart
• ‘News is something someone somewhere wants suppressed.
All the rest is advertising.’    - William Randolph
• ‘For most times no news is good news, for the press, good news is
not news.’

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CHECK YOUR PROGRESS- A

1) Define ‘news’.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
2) ‘When a dog bites a man it is not news, when a
man    bites a dog it is news.’ Analyze.
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
3) What is the definition of news given by William Randolph?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________

1.4 Types of News

News Desk:
Desk where news
Having discussed about the characteristics of news let us now understand
is edited and
the different types of news found in news media. News is basically of two
processed. Also
types-Hard News and Soft News.
known as Copy
1. Hard News: Hard news is a news item which states plain, simple facts Desk . In
as it has happened. It usually answers the basic questions of 5W’s Journalism, Copy
and H means the material
V Who written by a
V What journalist or news
V When supplied by a news
V Where agency or
V Why correspondent.
V How

Normally, a standard technique is followed while writing hard news. In

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case of print media, the inverted pyramid style is followed, i.e., the most
important information is placed towards the beginning of the story and
the less important ones are placed thereafter. In the broadcast media,
the less important information are simply left out. The hard news writing
style is usually followed while writing news about important public events,
government actions, international events, economic and social affairs,
crime, science and technology, environment etc.

If a fire breaks out in any part of Guwahati causing considerable damage

to the property of the dwellers, including human lives, the information
about this unprecedented devastation needs to be given immediately.
Who, what, when, where, why, how?

Similarly when a bomb blast takes place, the news about it would be
immediately flashed in the news media in the form of hard news stating
straight facts like where it happened, casualty, action taken etc. .

In today’s parlance Hard news are also called spot news or breaking
news, because the news organizations break out the news as soon as
it happens, without delaying.
2. Soft News: Soft news includes a wide variety of news items.
Features , editorials, articles, etc fall under this category. Reactions
and views are included in soft news apart from the plain facts. Stories
that deal with human interest angles can rightly be termed as soft
news. Soft news mostly emanates from the hard news. Normally the
follow up stories of a major event, highlighting the angles not covered
in the hard news items, mostly the human interest angle are such
type of news.

The idea of such news stories is to arouse curiosity among the readers
or viewers and heighten emotional appeal by presenting it in an
interesting manner. Therefore the conventional news writing formula
is not applied while dealing with soft news stories. The writer has the
liberty to be extremely innovative and create an item that would attract
as many readers as possible and at the same time create an impact
in the minds of the people.

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Let us take the example of a plane crash, say, in India. The media
would definitely cover the event with due emphasis on the number of
deaths, time, place and a narration of how the crash may have taken
place and, if possible, also highlighting the cause of the crash. All this
information will be immediately covered in the form of hard news.
However, as the days progress, a newer set of information may surface
and reach the hands of a reporter working on the story. After
investigating on the incident the reporter may find out there was a
child of, say 3 years, who was traveling with his parents, and the child
has survived the crash and could escape with minor injuries. Such
news will be covered as Soft news.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS- B

1) What is the difference between hard news and soft news?

Answer in about 50 words.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
2) What are the other terms by which hard news is also known?
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
3) What are the 5Ws and H.
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

ACTIVITY- A

1) Read todays newspaper and identify:

i) Five hard news items.
ii) Five soft news items.

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1.5 LET US SUM UP

In this unit you have been introduced to the basic concepts of news. Let us
quickly recapitulate these concepts once.

• News is a true account of events, happenings and incident. News is

something which has an immediate value for the larger segment of the
society.

• There are two types of news, hard-news and soft-news. A news item
which states plain, simple facts as it has happened is called hard news.
Features, editorials, articles, etc fall under the category of soft news.
Reactions and views are included in soft news apart from the plain facts.
Human interest is an important concern in soft news.

• A news report should basically have six basic elements-who, what, when,
why, where and how, popularly called 5 W’s and 1 H.

1.6 FURTHER READINGS

° Journalists Handbook , M. V. Kamath, Vikas Publishing House, New

Delhi

° Professional Journalism, M. V. Kamath

° Handbook of Journalism and Mass Communication , V B Agarwal

and V S Gupta, Concept Publishing    Company, New Delhi

1.7    ANSWERS TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - A

1) News is information about an event that happens in the society, which

affects the lives of the people or has the tendency to affect the lives of
the people, directly or indirectly, or has immediate value for the people
at large.

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2) News is something new, something relevant and important, something

immediate or something unusual happening in our world that concern
us or our society in some way or the other.

3) ‘Ne ws is something someone somewhere wants suppressed.

All the rest is advertising.’    - William Randolph

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS - B

1) A news item which states plain, simple facts as it has happened. It

usually answers the basic questions of 5W’s and H. On the other
hand, reactions and views are included in soft news apart from the
plain facts. Features, editorials, articles, etc fall under the category of
soft news. Human interest is an important concern in soft news.

2) Spot news or breaking news.

3) 5Ws- Who, What, Where, When, Why

H- How.

1.8 POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

1. “When a dog bites a man it is not news, when a man bites a dog it is
news” – discuss.

4. What are the basic differences between hard news and soft news?

5. Explain the concept of news in your words.

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