News is the chronicle of events in a given time frame. It is a vital part of the human experience. Without it, people would only have limited first-hand knowledge of what is happening in their town or city. It is important for people to know what is happening in their local area so that they can make informed decisions about where they live, work and play. Daily news provides this information. Most news outlets combine a mix of national and international news, but there are also local newspapers that focus on local events.
The most obvious reason to read the news is to stay aware of what is going on in the world around us. Almost all news outlets include a mixture of political, economic and social events in their coverage. Without it, people would only have limited knowledge of what is happening in their own community, which could negatively impact their decisions.
In addition to political and economic news, most of us read the news for entertainment and recreation. For example, many newspapers feature celebrity gossip, a sports section, and classified ads. We also watch TV and listen to the radio for entertainment. Moreover, most of us go out to restaurants, see movies, and attend sporting events. These activities can be a fun way to relax and escape from the stress of everyday life.
Another reason to read the news is for education. Studies show that students who regularly read the newspaper perform better on standardized tests than their non-reading counterparts. Especially in elementary school, reading the paper is an excellent way to develop vocabulary and comprehension skills. It is also a great way to learn about different cultures and countries.
One of the most important reasons to read the news is to hold those in power accountable. The free press is a cornerstone of our democracy and allows journalists to report what they believe is true. This is especially vital when those in power are corrupt or otherwise do not serve the public good.
Finally, daily news is important for citizens to understand the complexities of world events. Many of the issues that we face as a global society are complex and require extensive research, investigation and understanding to fully comprehend. The news helps to provide the background and context that citizens need in order to make informed decisions.
In the past, researchers have typically sought to measure news use by asking about frequency or time spent (see, for example, Thurman and Fletcher Citation2019). However, this approach has its drawbacks. Counting the number of times we encounter news and how much time we spend on it fails to capture how these experiences are shaped by a range of daily activities in domains such as the home, the workplace and local communities. Instead, we need a more user-centred approach to news use. This means moving beyond snapshots of news exposure and problematic platform-specific measures such as time spent to study how people engage with the news and what they get out of it (see, for example, Heikkila and Ahva Citation2014). Fortunately, there are tools that can facilitate this approach.
