DD1 asked me this morning in the car "why do they tell us that someone has been killed in the news?"

Going to be honest, it stumped me. All I could think of to say was "well other people may know that person and need to know they have died" to which she replied "but wouldn't their family and friends tell them?". She then asked about Jill Meagher, so I explained that she was missing first and that making it news, meant that there could have been a chance that she was found, but sadly in her case she was not.

So, why is news the news and how to explain that to a bright 7yo?