The term information cycle refers to the way information is processed and distributed and how it changes over time. It is usually used to describe the progression of

media Media may refer to: Communication * Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data ** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising ** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...

coverage relating to a particular newsworthy event or topic during which information goes through various stages of reporting and publication. In the cycle model, information begins circulation with a

news story An article or piece is a written work published in a print or electronic medium. It may be for the purpose of propagating news, research results, academic analysis, or debate. News articles A news article discusses current or recent news of eith ...

presented via the

Internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a ''internetworking, network of networks'' that consists ...

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transm ...

, or

newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sport ...

, followed by its release in magazines. The information is then researched by scholars and published in

academic journal An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and ...

s or books and presented at academic conferences. Finally, if the information is considered important enough, it is included in reference works such as

handbook A handbook is a type of reference work, or other collection of instructions, that is intended to provide ready reference. The term originally applied to a small or portable book containing information useful for its owner, but the ''Oxford Engl ...

s and

encyclopedia An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articles ...

s. As information passes through these stages, its content and presentation changes. Initial news coverage may take place as events unfold, and offer only the basics in terms of "who, what, when, and where." News magazines will provide more background information, adding the fifth W, "why," especially in less frequently appearing or specialized periodicals. As more time passes, scholars will research the information and write detailed studies that take historical context and long-term meaning into account. Finally, after a few years, books regarding the information may appear. Understanding the information cycle helps aid researchers and academics in determining the validity of source material. For instance, the cycle model is commonly taught in library education. Information flow in this model can be thought of as a cycle because, conceptually, the published information might spark new ideas which will pass through similar stages.

References

See also