The term “news” refers to novel information about recent affairs.
News has been a part of the human condition for as long as we’ve been able to communicate complex ideas. Going back to our early times, you can think of travelers, priests, soldiers, and the like as individuals who would learn something about a recent affair—such as the result of a battle or a nearby plague—and share that news with others. Perhaps you have even heard about the ‘town criers’ who would learn news—perhaps an official decree from the king—and share it with a public audience.
News is the lifeblood of journalism. In that context, news usually covers novel information about recent affairs that is in the public interest.
This emphasis on ‘public interest’ is influenced by Enlightenment principles, which emphasize objectivity and rationality in order to engage with social problems in a fruitful way. Moreover, this view considers newsgathering to be a notable activity in a democratic society wherein individuals seek to systematically collect novel information about recent events and convey the information in a way that allows citizens to engage productively in debates about matters that impact the public.
That interpretation of newsgathering is similar to what we often call “reporting” today. However, if we extend that interpretation to require that newsgathering involve hired and dedicated reporters—basically, people who get paid to report the news—then there was fairly little journalism until the 1800s, and only in a few places around the world. Put another way, our current imagining of newsgathering, or reporting, as a distinct, semi-professionalized endeavor is a historically recent development.
While we can define “news” in academic terms, it’s important to keep in mind that it also has a colloquial meaning, and also to distinguish between “news” and “the news.” It is not uncommon to hear “news” be used colloquially in reference to a particular way of conveying novel information about recent affairs, and “the news” as some monolithic aggregation of it. For example, the phrase, “What’s ‘the news’ today?” implies that there is one set of news stories, out of the many possible news stories, that a large group of people would accept as being particularly important at that moment in time.
It is thus important to recognize that “news” and “the news” are themselves modern cultural constructs that reflect particular understandings of what is news and newsworthy. Those understandings, in turn, are shaped by the histories and cultures of particular places. Put simply, “news” and “the news” are not natural things but rather things a group of people collectively agree to accept as “news” and “the news.”
For example, in the United States, a “news story” is rarely understood to mean a simple chronological listing of observations. You wouldn’t expect “news” to read that Dr. Zamith woke up, went to his office, ate lunch, stubbed his toe, and found the cure for dementia. Instead, most people expect “news” to resemble a particular format. In the United States, for example, you would expect the account of that “news” to start with the fact that Dr. Zamith found the cure to dementia—and maybe not even mention the fact that he ate lunch.
The dominance of particular ways of thinking about “news” and “the news” are due, in part, to how newsgathering developed in a particular place.
Finally, what is understood as “the news” varies considerably even within countries because it reflects not only distinct ways of thinking about what “news” should look or sound like but also who has the authority to define what “news” is and what is newsworthy.
Returning to that earlier question, “What’s ‘the news’ today?” we must recognize that there is a finite space for “news”—because, after all, we only have so much time to consume news and newsgatherers can only follow up on so many stories—and that ‘the news’ consequently requires someone to define what matters, both in terms of what news is important as well as what is important about that news.
Thus, while “news” can be understood as simply being novel information about recent affairs, it can also be understood more broadly as a form of knowledge about the world we live in. Consequently, those who are recognized as the definers of “the news”—be they journalists or some other group of people—are granted power in shaping how we understand the societies we live in as well as those we’ve never seen ourselves.
Within the context of journalism, the term “news” typically refers to novel information about recent affairs that is in the public interest.
While news has long been traded by different people, the notion of newsgathering as a distinct professional activity is a historically recent development.
“News” is a modern cultural form. It is rarely just a chronological listing of observations; instead, it reflects local logics about things like formats and information prioritization.
There is also the notion of “the news,” which suggests that there is a collection of particularly important news. Those who are recognized as the stewards of “the news” have power in defining what news is important and what is important about that news.
News can be understood as more than just a collection of information. It is also a form of knowledge.