Daily news chronicles the events that occur every day, and can also give people an overview of longer term trends. It can also connect people with their community by promoting cultural happenings and offering lifestyle advice. It can be interesting and uplifting, frightening or depressing, or even sensationalistic and trivial but it always informs.
Many people rely on the news to make decisions about their daily lives. Without it they could only learn about what was going on in their world by talking to other people, and that would be very limited. The news keeps people informed about what is happening in their local area, their country and across the globe.
It is usually about people, although natural disasters, wars and famine can make the news too. It can also be about money – fortunes made or lost, bankruptcies, taxes, school fees and the Budget, compensation claims or food prices. It can also be about entertainment – who is in the latest film, what concerts are coming up or who is winning the next big competition.
A large part of the news is reported on television and radio. In addition to a mix of national and international stories, the majority of TV and radio stations also produce a local news bulletin. This is often combined with other content, such as celebrity gossip, classified ads, comics and sports news. A smaller share of people get their news on Instagram (20%), TikTok (17%) and X (formerly known as Twitter) (59%). In Australia, regional stations of the major TV networks produce a daily news bulletin for each state.