The Differences Between News and Non-News
One of the things that we love most about the media today is news. We read about stories that make us smile, laugh, cry or otherwise feel just plain glad that someone somewhere is still out there taking in the world. But what is news? It is a term that can mean many different things to many different people. Here are some examples of types of news that you might encounter when reading your morning paper.
Take for example the Wall Street Journal. The focus of this type of news media is a business and current events. While the newspaper regularly covers national political debates, the Wall Street Journal tends to focus more on business, banking and investing news. This is not to say that all business and investing news are bad, but both types share some of the same deadlines and reporting rules with the Wall Street Journal.
Another example of an important business and current event in the news is the Washington Post. While the Wall Street Journal normally focuses on business and Wall Street related events, the Post covers almost everything that doesn’t involve banks, corporations or other businesses. This includes health care, education, government officials, celebrities and even local news. Some readers of the Wall Street Journal may prefer journalism over non-journalism in their search for breaking news, but either way both types share much in common with one another.
There are also many newscasts that fall into the category of news media. These include the Today Show, CNN and many others. The purpose of these shows is to provide information on whatever event has happened that week. The difference between a newscast and a regular news broadcast is that instead of coming around directly to a particular story, these news broadcasts let their host speaks directly to the camera and then give information about the crisis being covered by the media.
Finally, there is still a distinct difference between news and non-news. News reporting does what it says: It informs the public. Non-news reporting tends to just pander to a public’s desire for getting the latest scoop or finding out the latest in politics. In either case, it is simply one way of making sure that people stay informed.
While all three forms of news media have their uses, it is important to remember that all three have their limits. The goal of any medium is to inform, so while this may seem like a non-ending debate, it really isn’t. With technology evolving, the roles of these different types of news media will likely become more defined in the future. As such, it is good to remember that in order to truly receive any of these different types of news it is always a good idea to do a bit of research. After all, nothing is worse than receiving bad news and having no means to counteract it.