I saw this question asked in a Q & A part of a magazine. I forgot what it said though and just remember the question. So at what point do you think news becomes history?

News become history whenever everyone stop talking about it, and forget about it. I think news become history at different levels, with different people.

In order to be written down in history, it has to be something very important and popular, and even though it's in history, it's still talked about, or studied, therefore history is not forgotten.

There area some things that should be history, but people keep resurfacing them, because of personal feelings.

Good point honilov. Thanks.

I suggest that an event only becomes history when it causes a significant effect. Many trivial things are news stories but not history - celebrity divorces, sports results etc.

History is an ongoing story of cause and effect telling how we arrived at the world we llive in today. Any completed event that adds to that story is a piece of history.

Ewood's definition of history is a good one.

quote:

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Originally posted by honilov: News become history whenever everyone stop talking about it, and forget about it.

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By this explanation, though, only things in the very very far past would be "history." I think we'd both agree that World War II is "history," but it is still talked and thought about and the pain is still felt.
Or maybe I'm misunderstanding you. I have been known to do that. From time to time.

Elexina, any war would fall into the catagory of my second paragraph. However, my first paragraph would cover gossip news that the media make such a big deal out of. My third paragraph covers news that haters won't let be forgotten.

Since news fall in different catagories, history does too.

Does this make it more understandable? This is just how I express my personal opinion, because history is definite not going down the way I see it.

News only becomes history when reporters are reporting events accurately. Often, reporters report opinions and reactions which don't always pan out.

Tell a Lie That is Big Enough, and Repeat it Often Enough, and the Whole World Will Believe It...

Mahal, I don't know about that. Columbus's discovery of America has been 'history' for quite a long time, and yet I was taught it one way all the way through grade school and then another way in high school. I realize nobody was actually reporting on it, but the story was still being told differently...
Honilov, yes, I see what you mean. History certainly does have different categories. The unfortunate part is that some of those issues "that the media make such a big deal out of" sometimes become 'real history.' And that's just sad.

I've noticed PBS is already running historical documentaries of events taken place in the last few short days. Including President Bush's speech last night and events since the speech.

Yes, but at least PBS reports the real news, not that fluffy voyeuristic red carpet garbage.