Political news involves the gathering, reporting and analyzing news related to politicians, political parties, elections, government policies and laws on a local, state or national level. This includes the coverage of politics on TV, radio and online talk shows as well as a host of grassroots journalism outlets like blogs and podcasts. It is important for journalists to remain neutral in their reporting, even when the subjects are close to their hearts or minds, and to avoid biased and one sided journalism.

The political news industry is experiencing significant changes. For example, younger generations are eschewing traditional print media and instead getting their news from the internet on their smartphones. This generation is also more likely to visit sites that profess a partisan point of view over those that claim to be neutral or objective.

In addition, the proliferation of new technologies has changed how politicians communicate with the public. Many now bypass the press and use social media platforms like Facebook or X (formerly Twitter) to reach voters directly. This has shifted the way people get their political news and created new opportunities for independent or grassroots journalists to report on events as they occur.

Unlike some other types of news, political news often covers more than just the basics of a measure or decision. It may also explore the different opinions on that issue and show how those differ. This requires careful planning and calculation to ensure that the most important viewpoints are presented first.