The Meaning of News to Different Societies
News is defined by Webster as the “observations, remarks, and judgments of the public” or of an educated public. According to Oxford Dictionary, news is “a new event or development occurring beforehand.” A news story, report or other information about current events. A broadcast or report of these news as in a news program or on a news network.
In everyday life, what we refer to as news is a lot more than just a report on the latest event. It is a way of making news and keeping everyone informed of any major changes or happenings with the local, national or international governments or organizations. It also means any event that makes news is deemed newsworthy by the journalist or reporter who is reporting it. The person who makes news can be a private citizen, a government or an organization. It can also be made by any kind of media like the print, broadcast or online media.
To put it simply, a person who makes news is a person who can influence others to think and act in a certain way. A news story which makes the public to be aware of something through different channels is considered newsworthy. So, how does the personal impact of news to society works? Well, for one, a major portion of any population remains within the reach of the local news.
For example, in the 4th of July, while everyone was busy celebrating Independence Day, Cuomo, the Spanish Prime Minister used the occasion as an opportunity to deliver his annual State of the Nation address. He spoke about the need to preserve Spain’s cultural heritage and values at a time when the rest of Europe was getting ready to revise its membership in the European Union (EU). He mentioned the need for the EU to protect its values such as freedom of speech, open economy, and respect for human dignity. He also mentioned Spain’s long history of resisting colonization which could mean a strong European defense against external aggression in future.
As a conclusion, the significance of the word “news” goes beyond merely publishing facts. News can also be used as an adjective meaning an impartial or objective assessment of something. Thus, “a thorough investigation of the facts leading to the declaration of a candidate for the presidential post” is a concise example of a news story. This sentence obviously has two ways of connecting: the reporter connecting the two ends (the facts and the national perspective), and the editor connecting the two (the reporter’s impartiality or objective view in assessing the candidate).
As it seems to be, news stories are important not only to the economical structure of a country but also to its overall social structure. A recent article points out that news stories have become an integral part of different societies and cultures. As an example, a Mexican story regarding a seven-year-old boy who disappeared went viral in less than 24 hours, attracting media attention from around the world. However, the boy’s story had different meanings to different cultures. For example, in the United States, people were searching for information on the whereabouts of a missing white boy, a man aged between seven and nine who disappeared from a small town in Texas.