News contains information about occurring and recent
events. This may be provided through multiple different types of
media: word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting,
electronic communication, or through the testimony of observers or
witnesses to events. News is sometimes called "hard or breaking
news" to show the difference between it and soft media. Common
topics for news reports include war, government, politics,
education, health, the environment, economy, business, fashion,
entertainment, and sport, as well as fast breaking, special, quirky
or unusual events. Government proclamations, concerning royal
ceremonies, laws, taxes, public health, and criminals, have been
dubbed news since ancient times. Current technological, the Internet
and social developments, often driven by government communication
and/or espionage networks, have increased the speed with which news
can spread, as well as influenced its content. Throughout history,
people have transported news and information through speaking.
Having developed in China over many centuries, newspapers became
established in Europe during the early modern period. In the 20th
century, radio and television & the Internet have become important
means of transmitting news. Now the internet has begun to be the
prominent form of current and developing news. |