The Importance of Local News

Local news is the reporting of events, issues and activities that directly impact a defined local community or geographic area. It plays a significant role in fostering community identity by covering stories that resonate with residents, reflecting their values, culture and concerns. By informing citizens about government decisions, public services and local events, it encourages civic participation and engagement.

While national and state-level events may be covered by local news outlets, it’s often the community level coverage that has the greatest impact. Take, for example, the recent battle over textbooks in Seminole County schools in Florida. While there was plenty of media coverage on the broader issue, it was The Blueprint – Hagerty High School’s student newspaper – that stepped in to cover the story and give local students a hands-on education in journalism.

A large number of Americans report following local news at least sometimes, with the majority saying they follow news about weather, crime and government. However, some communities have been left without any local news at all, a situation known as being in a “news desert.”

Local news is typically broadcast on television by commercial broadcasting channels (some of which are network affiliates). It can be either a standalone local newscast that runs for at least a half-hour or short segments that air attached to national morning newscasts. For instance, Norway’s national public broadcaster NRK TV shows a 13-minute local news program called NRK Distriktsnyheter every weekday evening on channel 3, and it also airs a shortened version of the same show as an opt-out during a simulcast of the nation-wide morning news program Dagsrevyen on channel 2. Local news is also shown on local cable channels.

Video News Channels

Online news video is becoming a central part of many publishers’ content strategy. A recent survey of senior digital leaders found that 79% planned to invest more in the format. However, publishers remain cautious due to the significant investment needed and the challenge of monetising video content.

Video news channels take a different approach to online news coverage, creating short videos designed to work on social media and mobile devices where sound is usually off. They use a mix of automation and human curation and often feature graphics and the publisher’s logo. Many are experimenting with innovative storytelling techniques and new visual formats to attract audiences.

For example, Tomo uses Taiwanese animators to create crude GCI reenactments of stories that they can’t actually capture on camera – an approach they call “News-Infotainment.” Unlike traditional news broadcasters, independent YouTube news channels are less likely to cite news organizations when making their videos. Instead they were more likely to cite other sources like experts, social media posts and polls.

Compared to the most viewed news videos in December 2019, those of independent channels were twice as likely to have a negative tone toward their main subject. Videos about President Trump were the most popular topics, followed by domestic policy issues and criticism of corporations like big tech. Meanwhile, videos about Democratic politicians and non-political public figures were less common.

What Is Political News?

Political news refers to the information published in newspapers, radio and television programs that pertain to politics, public affairs and political science. It is a sub-genre of journalism that explores the political sphere and how it relates to the social and economic development of societies.

The media environment in which people consume political news is constantly changing. Gone are the days when most political information was confined to network TV and major national newspapers. Now, 24-hour cable news channels and a myriad of online sources compete for political attention. In addition, online news consumers can customize their news sourcing with RSS feeds and aggregators, post their own political content on personal websites or social networking sites and watch video news clips at any time of day.

Young adults and those with relatively high levels of income and education are more likely than others to go online for political and election news. Moreover, they are more intense internet users and are more likely to access news on their mobile devices than is the case with the general population.

As a result, more Americans than ever rely on the internet for their political news. They are more likely to visit portal news services, personal blogs and online social networking sites to sift through the long tail of political commentary. They are also more likely to use tools to search for and filter political news – using a variety of methods such as keywords, topical categories and filters – and more likely to share the information they find online with others.

Live News Feed

Stream the news that matters most to you with Hulu + Live TV. Watch national networks like CNN, Fox News and MSNBC and local coverage from ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC. Plus, get the latest breaking stories as they happen — and never miss your favorite shows again with unlimited DVR storage.

A live news feed is a video stream of television broadcasts by various networks and TV news channels, in many countries worldwide. These streams may be provided online, by the channels themselves, or through smart televisions that have integrated streaming media apps, internet television services (e.g. YouTube) or subscription video on demand websites such as e.g. Hulu, or digital media players such as the Roku.

For twenty-four-hour news channels, the content of their live news streams, and that of their broadcast television services, may be identical; however for some news channels, especially those owned by conventional commercial networks, the stream may only carry world news, and may be separate from the channel’s regular broadcast schedule. Some major international news outlets such as Al Jazeera have livestreams available on their own websites, and at their YouTube channels.

How to Use the Media Spotlight to Highlight Your Members

The media spotlight shines on an individual or organization to draw attention and build credibility. It can be used to showcase your members, boost recruitment and retention and promote social media engagement. It is a powerful tool that is best executed by ensuring your members are prepared for the glare of the media and have a compelling story to tell.

A successful media spotlight article must be interesting and relevant, as well as timely. A good way to approach this is to take a human interest angle, which can transform a niche or mundane piece into something that has broader appeal. For example, a policy update on a new city initiative might catch the eye of journalists interested in education or policy, but adding a story about a student who overcame great adversity and was able to use their experience to mentor others could widen the reach of your story.

Journalists are busy, overworked and usually under-supported, which means that your pitch is competing against a lot of other information for their attention. A compelling subject line is key for getting your media spotlight pitch noticed in a journalist’s overcrowded inbox, as it’s often the only way to ensure that they’ll open and read your email.

With a media database like Prowly, you can stay connected to journalists who cover your research topic through a variety of filters including industry, location and more. You can also use AI keyword suggestions to expand your search possibilities and uncover more opportunities for coverage.

Current Events for History, Government, and Civics Classrooms

Current events provide scholars with ample material for study. They might explore the rise of right populism and ethnic nationalism, a nightmarish post-fact political era, or the long-term impact of surveillance and robots on the economy and employment. Or they might analyze whether Trump will break through the sclerosis of Washington elites and usher in economic invigoration, international stability, or broader social inclusion.

Each week, the Bill of Rights Institute searches for contemporary news articles that explore themes used in U.S. History, Government, and Civics classrooms. We then identify resources that connect those articles to the curriculum.

NYC and the country changed forever on 9/11, 24 years ago. Here’s a look back at how the day unfolded.

Financial Market News

Financial market news:

Fall is a time of change, whether it’s back to school, football season or the annual public service announcement that September is historically the worst month for stocks (guilty as charged). This week brought choppy trading with the equal weight S&P 500 up 5% — with Google’s hefty offer for TikTok driving much of the gain. Verizon Communications CEO Hans Vestberg joins Yahoo Finance editor Brian Sozzi at the 2025 Goldman Sachs Communacopia and Technology Conference to talk growth, M&A, convergence in media and AI.

Using News Updates to Position Your Business As a Thought Leader

News updates help people stay informed on topics that are of interest to them, promoting lifelong learning and enriching their intellectual curiosity. They also enable individuals to take precautionary measures and support their communities during natural disasters or security threats. Being well-informed empowers people to make informed decisions that impact their lives, leading to a more positive and productive existence.

Sharing relevant news content positions your business as a thought leader in your industry and fosters audience loyalty. It also demonstrates that you are an authority in your field, which can lead to new business opportunities and networking with influential partners. For example, an IT company could publish a news article discussing the latest developments in AI technology, positioning themselves as a trusted resource for insights that can enhance businesses and increase revenue.

Unlike traditional newspapers, online news sources provide real-time information on current events, enabling readers to access breaking news stories as they happen. This can be especially beneficial in times of crisis or emergencies, where having quick and easy access to relevant information is critical.

One popular news-gathering app is Flipboard, which has a sleek and intuitive interface that mimics the experience of thumbing through a magazine. It allows users to follow their favorite topics and news outlets, give individual stories a thumbs up or down, and save searches and articles to read later. In addition, Flipboard can integrate other media, such as podcasts or tweets, alongside news articles to provide a more comprehensive and immersive experience.

Media Coverage of Protests and Race

News media coverage of protests plays a crucial role in how a social movement is understood and supported by the public. Studies show that media depictions of protests vary based on the subject of the protest, the year, and the ideological leaning of the outlet covering the story (Bae 2010). This variation extends to how media portray the people participating in the protest. News media coverage of protests that involve predominantly non-White protesters is more likely to use language that evokes fear and anger than coverage of protests that feature mostly White protesters. These differences remain significant even after controlling for the subject of the protest, the year, transcript length, and the outlet’s ideological leanings.

These findings support a growing body of research that shows that how media depict a protest movement and its members can have profound consequences for the movements’ ability to attract support and sway policymakers (Feinberg et al. 2020). Earlier research has shown that activists can strategically deploy tactics to affect how they are perceived by the media (Andrews and Caren 2010). Specifically, non-confrontational approaches to a protest often draw more coverage than confrontational approaches.

Our analysis further suggests that the racial makeup of protesters has a unique influence on how media cover them. In particular, a story describing a protest featuring mostly Black protesters is more likely to be framed using evocative language than a story describing a protest with mostly White protesters. These evocative wordings are most commonly used to frame protests that concern a racial issue or police grievance, but also appear in coverage of the UC Davis student protests and the Ferguson protests.

The Importance of International Affairs

International affairs is the study of relationships among nations and states, examining their policies and interactions to form alliances or resolve conflicts. This interdisciplinary major incorporates elements of political science, economics, history, geography, journalism and languages to prepare students to think flexibly across cultures, times and systems.

A global society faces a host of challenges, from climate change and food security to conflict resolution and diplomacy. Our graduates take on those issues with the knowledge and real-world skills to make a difference in their careers, whether they choose to work for government agencies, nonprofits or global tech and business.

The roots of modern international relations (IR) date back to ancient times, when philosophers like Thucydides and Aristotle wrote about the nature of war and peace. The field grew into a discipline after World War I, with Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points announcing a new era of cooperation between Great Powers and the establishment of the League of Nations and later the United Nations signaling a desire for broader international engagement.

Today, global politics is more complex than ever before and the need for a deeper understanding of international relations remains as important as it was in 1913. By choosing to focus on international affairs, you can join the ranks of experts who analyze the dynamics of global systems and find solutions that promote peace and prosperity for all.