Dictionary of Canadian English

• Something told as having just happened: information about something that has just happened or will soon happen.
  
• A report of a current happening or happenings in a newspaper, on television, radio, etc
  

Random House Dictionary

• A report of a current event.
  
• A report on current events in a newspaper or on radio or television.
  
• Such reports taken collectively.
  

American Heritage Dictionary

• Recent events and happenings.
  
• A report about recent events.
  
• New information.
  

Globe Modern Dictionary

• A report of events as given each day by newspaper, radio, etc.
  
• Information which was not known before.
  
  

Oxford Shorter Dictionary

• New things, novelties (1565).
  
• Tidings, new information of recent events; new occurrences as a subject of report or talk.
  
• A newspaper.

Comments About the News

• Sophocles: Nobody likes the man who brings bad news.
  
• Milton (1671): Suspense in news is torture.
  
• Churchill (1898): It is better to be making the news than taking it; to be an actor than a critic.
  
• Motto of the New York Times: All the news that's fit to print
  
• John Bogart (1918): When a dog bites a man, that is not news, because it happens so often. But if a man bites a dog, that is news.
  
• Anon: It is a newspaper's duty to print the news and raise hell.