Every day, you are surrounded by news—news on the internet, news on television, news in the newspaper, news that other people deliver. Have you ever thought about how the “news” is actually created? What makes a “news” story, anyway?

Let’s take the most ubiquitous form of news we all grew up with: the nightly news on TV. The news anchor sits at a desk and delivers a script with a handful of stories about the day’s events. These can be a mix of world, national, and local news stories. Then it goes to sports, weather, and probably some human-interest stories.

Have you ever noticed that the day’s news conveniently fits into a half-hour broadcast? Of course, we know that more things happen than fit into a news program, but we’re so conditioned to accept this content as “news” that we rarely question it.

Here’s the reality: there is no such thing as objective news. Producers select events and create a broadcast around them. They choose events that get widespread attention or that seem important. Then, those events are framed with a certain point of view, supported by facts and details that are chosen to support that point of view. A script is written and then delivered by a news anchor.

Every day, there are millions of events happening around the world, but it’s not possible to report on all of those, so only the most relevant, exciting, or interesting events are selected and reported on.

It may seem disconcerting to realize that there is no such thing as objective news, but it doesn’t have to be. Instead, it’s a freeing realization to know that you have the same power as a news producer or desk anchor. You can take events or situations and write about them. You can add your perspective or commentary. Instead of being a consumer of news, you become a curator, a taste-maker, a person who influences what other people think is important.

This is not manipulation. It’s just leadership. It has been said that the first job of a leader is to define reality. That is the first job of a writer, too. Your first and foremost responsibility is to tell the truth as you see it.

So, no matter what you’re writing about, tell us what you know. Tell us how you see it. And tell us how we can make our lives better. There can be no higher calling for a writer than this.

Daily Question: How does it make you feel to know there is no such thing as objective news, and that you have the power to influence people’s perspectives on events?