Anything that provides news information for a period of time is said to be a news source. News sources can be a moving person or still documents. Such as people who have witnessed the crime would come to the news source or documents found at the suicide crime spot would be considered as a news source. There are several news sources such as official documents, governmental officials, witnesses of the crime scene, the victim itself etc. News sources are required for the both, the journalists and for the audiences. Here we are going to discuss the news sources for both.
In earlier days many rulers used the technique of drum beat to convey their message through different people or his officials and many rulers carved their messages on the walls or rocks to deliver their message. Later in the modern world, all these news sources were eliminated and then press took new elements of news sources. In today’s world, we can see there are totally different news sources. Such as televisions, radio, press release, press conference, newspapers, press interviews, institutions such as hospitals, schools, colleges, police stations etc.
These are the news sources which are prominent in today’s time:
- Radio: It is an audio medium used by many in today’s time. We can see people are relying on Radio as a source of information. Radio is prominent and seen in both rural and urban areas. People in rural who cannot afford television rely on radio as it is cheap. If we talk about urban areas where we do not see many using radio at their houses instead they listen in their cars. Over decades radio has gained popularity and is said is a good source of news.
- Television: television telecasts their news on television through which other newspaper takes there sources. It is said to be the most authentic source of news as it has visuals to establish the authenticity. Television helps and provides newspapers to give detailed information to the audience but television news just doesn’t act as the source to the newspaper but also the audience itself.
- Newspapers and magazines: these two also act as a good source of news. Newspaper on both the levels national and international provides the best information in details. The newspaper has 5W’s and 1H which gives all the significant information at the starting of the news and further deals with the minor details and same is done in the magazines.
- Press release: Press Releases are generally used for the release of a particular news. The Press Release should contain worthwhile material which has some news value. A Press Release should be written in a journalistic style and provide facts and information of interest to readers and should cover all aspects of a specific subject. The release should be on current subject and a piece of clear writing without any ambiguity, color or ornamentation but it should at the same time not be generally lengthy.
- Press notes: The press notes are less formal in character. These are also issued on important official matters e.g. raising or lowering of tariff rates, price fixation of food grains, subsidy announcement of seeds, fertilizer etc. Apart from the name of department, place and date, a press note mentions headings. Unlike the press communiqué, the newspaper can edit or condense the press notes.
- Handouts: The handouts are issued on a variety of subjects like the day-to-day activities of the ministry or departments, VIP speeches, question and answers in Parliament or legislature and the developmental programmes of government departments. It covers the name of the PIB or information department. No official handout is issued, if the minister or a government official has spoken in his personal capacity.
- Press statement: the statements are usually given by known people, then he shares his statement with media and later this becomes press statement.
- Police station: every event which is of big concern to the police station would be firstly found in the police station. If the reporter wants to know about a crime scene he would get first-hand information from there.
