News is an important part of the everyday lives of citizens. Often, it carries a message to the people about some topic, and also helps in the development of the country. However, it can also be a powerful weapon to spread communalism and nationalism in the society.
The news media (broadcasters, newspapers, magazines, radio and TV) are responsible for delivering the latest information to their audiences. They use various techniques to gather and present the news. These include breaking news, weather reports, sports updates, opinion pieces and feature stories.
According to the Galtung and Ruge model, there are four major types of news. These are Good, Bad, Conflict and Surprise.
Good news: Stories that have particularly positive overtones, including recoveries, breakthroughs, cures, wins and celebrations. They are likely to be viewed as positive because they can contribute to social change and improve the world in some way.
Typically, they are also likely to be well-written and accompanied by arresting photographs or video. They may also be able to generate shareability on Twitter and Facebook.
Bad news: Stories that have particularly negative overtones, such as conflict or tragedy. They are often viewed as bad because they can result in loss, injury or defeat and are usually accompanied by arresting photographs, video or audio.
Conflict: Stories involving conflicts such as controversies, arguments, splits, strikes, fights, insurrections or warfare. They are also likely to be viewed as conflicting because they can result in loss, injury or forfeiture of property.
Regardless of whether an event is perceived as good or bad, it must be presented and reported in a fair manner. This requires the journalist to cross check all of the news they plan to publish and make sure it is true and factual without any personal bias or political bias. The journalist must be unbiased and have an equal opinion on both sides of the issue. They must also be able to explain the issues and events in an understandable manner that will appeal to the reader.