The Purpose of News

News as defined consists of “a report of recent events”, or “previously unknown information” (“News” Merriam-Webster). With that being said, news has existed since almost, if not, the beginning of time. Everything including crude drawings to grunting-and-pointing from Neanderthals were all for a purpose. Of course they were unlikely to be sharing the latest celebrity gossip or numbers in the stock market, but the same purpose of spreading information still remains the same today. As Americans in the 21st century, more “traditional” news reporting is constantly around us in the forms of newspapers, television, the Internet, and cellular phones. Why do we need so many mediums and for what purpose? I believe the intention of news in our society is still to inform as well as to connect people together, but also to generate enormous profit, which may lead to harm in the long run. In this day and age, it is important to be kept well informed of what is occurring in the U.S., as well as the world, especially in our troubled economic climate. With 2009 also ushering in a new President, it is important to see what new changes Barack Obama will bring to the nation. The fastest and most convenient place to access this information is the news. On a typical day in America, 57% watch some kind of TV news, while 40% of Americans read a newspaper (“Overview: Online Papers…”). This data does not even include the Web, which more and more people are using each day to access traditional news as well as non-traditional sources such as blogs. The unknown is something always desired to become known, so Americans have a constant desire to stay informed. It is in my opinion that another purpose of news is to unite people together. The Hutchins Commission, a group formed after World War II to determine the proper function of the media in modern democracies, states that media “should present a representative picture of all constituent groups in society” (“Journalism Ethics”). Unfortunately, this may not be true across the world such as in communist China, but is definitely seen in the United States in the broad news mediums such as the local TV news station or newspaper. When one looks through a newspaper or views any sort of news medium, countless stories can be seen that relate to one and all. One can easily read about people of every age group, ethnicity, and socioeconomic background. Not only does this increase the amount of readers, viewers, or listeners for a specific news medium, but it has the capability to link people of all backgrounds together through (hopefully) unbiased sources, and provide information people need or yearn to know. Even things as simple as newspaper photographs or a video clip can help capture a scene, and make a person feel as if they are in the situation for themselves. In addition, News has the power to spark conversations between everyday people. This could be just for general chatter, or to even help solve problems—poverty, crime issues, or perhaps to expose corruption in a government. Coverage of some sort of attack, a death of a well-known individual, or the swearing in of a President link Americans together, even if the story may not have a direct bearing on one’s own life. News mediums are also enormous moneymakers for major companies today, and unfortunately, I believe that this has diluted the former, aforementioned purposes of news. That is not to say that all journalists are selling their stories as if they are merchandise on a shelf. But an ever growing number of journalists and news outlets are more concerned about earning profits, while the journalistic quality is an afterthought. Even former CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite says, “news accuracy has declined because of consolidations and closures that have left many American towns with only one newspaper. And as broadcasters cut budgets and air time for news, he said, "we're all left with a sound bite culture” (“Does Media’s Profit-Quest”). Mergers, closures, and cutbacks at smaller media outlets, and the decline of printed newspapers are leaving America with less and less choices for journalism. Sure small town and large scale newspapers still exist and are read by millions each day, but as advertising dollars fall, will there be much choice left for mainstream news? Only time will tell. While news mediums have evolved quite a bit since early pictographs and words on printed paper, the reason of news still remains the same—to inform. The ever-growing number of ways people can access news helps to keep Americans in-touch with one another, while new outlets for news are causing people to want to stay informed. The way news is documented, processed, and distributed may constantly be changing. Regardless, journalism is something still appealing to the natural human curiosity, no matter if it is a story of fame and good luck, or misfortune and tragedy.
Media Bias Is Real, Finds UCLA Political Scientist. 14 Dec. 2005. University of California. 10 Mar. 2009 .

Ransohoff, David. "Sensationalism in the Media." Aug. 2001. 9 Mar. 2009 .

Tucker, Rich. Journalism 101. 07 Nov. 2003. Cybercast News Service. 10 Mar. 2009 .

Whiten, Jon. "If News From Iraq Is Bad, It's Coming From U.S. Officials." If News From Iraq Is Bad, It's Coming From U.S. Officials. Feb. 2004. FAIR. 10 Mar. 2009 .