"Having fun and learning something": how users in four countries define what news is – and is not

News categorizations are embedded in daily media routines. While research often relies on professional and academic definitions, users may have different understandings of what constitutes “news.” This is especially true within hybrid media environments, where boundaries between news and other media genres are increasingly blurred. This study examines how users characterize news in such environments, drawing on eight chat-based focus groups and 162 in-depth interviews with media users in Brazil, India, the UK, and the US. We identify two public definitions of news – a core and an expanded one – structured around three key criteria of news-ness: content, format, and relevance. The core definition aligns with traditional media, emphasizing consequential topics conveyed through journalistic formats with current, national, and global relevance. Conversely, within digital media contexts, these criteria broaden to include a wider range of topics and formats, with greater emphasis on personal relevance. Taken together, the findings illuminate how users across the Global North and South experience, define, and categorize news, offering a rich understanding of user expectations and boundary work within the current media ecology.