News is actually information regarding current affairs. This can be given through various media: print, television, radio, postal systems, wire services, online broadcasting, or by the oral testimony of various witnesses and analysts who regularly monitor events. The news is also a summary of what happened in the past – what the present situation is, what are the factors that triggered the current event(s), and what are the future planned actions. In some senses, news serves as a warning of impending doom. For example, if a nuclear explosion occurs near a major city, the newspaper will publish a story alerting people to the potential danger.

A news article covers a wide range of subject matter. It can be about politics, sport, celebrity, immigration, the environment, health, science, technology, and more. It can be written with the simple objective of informing the public, or with the express purpose of selling newspapers and other publications. News provides timely and relevant information for readers.

It is a type of non-fiction book. News is comparable to non-fiction books in that it is intended to convey information to readers with the hopes of disseminating knowledge to them, and informing them so they may make informed choices about current affairs. Many non-news books contain factual claims about current events; news publications, on the other hand, do not. The difference lies in the objective. For instance, news is subjective and in-depth, while non-newsbooks are entirely objective.