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What is the news supposed to be?

Strangely, "news" is a slightly indefinable product because it can vary according to its relevance or importance to each person who consumes it - what is intensely strong, relevant and "hard" news to one person can be nothing more than gossip to another (e.g. the marital status of some Hollywood star is valuable, heavily consumed news to organisations like the "E" channel or TMZ, but rubbish to, say, readers of the Washington Post.)

In essence news is anything that informs, interprets or explains current events - usually events that the public can't experience directly themselves and therefore rely on news media to convey the information to them.

However, the internet and the digital revolution in …show more content…

News is generated, consumed and disposed of at ever-accelerating pace, which also raises questions about the quality of news in the modern era.

For example, the approach to news by organisations like Buzzfeed or the Daily Mail is funnier, quirkier - and some would argue often less accurate - than the more considered and researched offerings coming from traditional media organisations employing journalists who are drilled on the need for balanced, well researched, accurate and ethical reporting.

There is a very large audience for modern social-media based news - as there still is for "traditional" quality news, but the public needs to be constantly wary and skeptical about what they're consuming.

If those preparing it have stuck to principles of accuracy, fairness, balance and (as much as possible) objectivity, then it should be news of some quality - regrettably, this is not always the case in modern, low-cost self-published "news".

What are some techniques used to capture people's attention and keep viewers interested?

The same basic techniques are pursued in conveying news - no matter its subject, its media, or who is preparing it - and they revolve around the way information is ordered, arranged and displayed.

Anyone conveying news will always seek to highlight the most interesting/alarming/noteworthy or latest piece of information available.

So, in the written form, this is placed in an

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