The best short definition of news is ‘that which is new, interesting and true’. ‘New’ in that it is an account of events that the listener has not heard before – or an update of a story previously broadcast. ‘Interesting’ in the sense of the material being relevant, or directly affecting the audience in some way. ‘True’, because the story as told is factually correct.
It is a useful definition not only because it is a reminder of three crucial aspects of a credible news service but because it leads to a consideration of its own omissions. If all news is to be really ‘new’ a story will be broadcast only once. Yet there is an obvious obligation to ensure that it is received by the widest possible audience. At what stage ...
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