News is often characterized as an unexpected event that catches people’s attention. However, there are a number of factors that influence how news stories are selected. For example, the news-value of a story depends on its likelihood to be shared on social media. The news-value of a story also varies depending on how well it fits into the media’s schedule.
News is also characterized by its speed. News can be provided in many forms, including written reports or video footage. It is sometimes referred to as “hard news” to distinguish it from “soft news.” Common topics covered by news are war, government, education, health, environment, economics, entertainment, and society. From ancient times, government proclamations have been classified as news. Since the evolution of the media, technological and social developments have often been driven by government communication and espionage networks.
The news industry has changed dramatically in the past few decades. It is no longer based on newspapers or typewriters. It is now a multi-platform medium that reaches millions of viewers. The Chinese Central Television, for instance, operates 18 channels with more than one billion viewers worldwide. Iran’s Press TV has an international presence and Russia Today, branded as RT, has a multi-platform presence. In addition, the growth of television has increased the number of actors and conflicts in the news.
The Internet is also a crucial channel for news dissemination, especially during government crackdowns. While newspapers are easy to shut down, mobile devices are more difficult to detect. This has prompted the rise of citizen journalists.