What’s Newsworthy?
How do television news reporters and newspaper editors decide what stories to cover?
What is news anyway?
Five News Values
1. Timeliness: Immediate, current information and events are newsworthy because they have just recently occurred. It’s news because it’s “new.”
2. Proximity: Local information and events are newsworthy because they affect the people in our community and region. We care more about things that happen “close to home.”
3. Conflict and Controversy: When violence strikes or when people argue about actions, events, ideas or policies, we care. Conflict and controversy attract our attention by highlighting problems or differences within the community.
4. Human Interest: People are interested in other people. Everyone has something to celebrate and something to complain about. We like unusual stories of people who accomplish amazing feats or handle a life crisis because we can identify with them.
5. Relevance: People are attracted to information that helps them make good decisions. If you like to cook, you find recipes relevant. If you’re looking for a job, the business news is relevant. We need depend on relevant information that helps us make decisions.
To some extent, what is newsworthy depends on the target audience. This is especially true of the values of “relevance” and “human interest. What’s newsworthy to a 15-year old will be different from that of a senior citizen. What’s newsworthy to a city dweller may be less newsworthy to one who lives in a small town.
How do television news reporters and newspaper editors decide what stories to cover?
What is news anyway?
Five News Values
1. Timeliness: Immediate, current information and events are newsworthy because they have just recently occurred. It’s news because it’s “new.”
2. Proximity: Local information and events are newsworthy because they affect the people in our community and region. We care more about things that happen “close to home.”
3. Conflict and Controversy: When violence strikes or when people argue about actions, events, ideas or policies, we care. Conflict and controversy attract our attention by highlighting problems or differences within the community.
4. Human Interest: People are interested in other people. Everyone has something to celebrate and something to complain about. We like unusual stories of people who accomplish amazing feats or handle a life crisis because we can identify with them.
5. Relevance: People are attracted to information that helps them make good decisions. If you like to cook, you find recipes relevant. If you’re looking for a job, the business news is relevant. We need depend on relevant information that helps us make decisions.
To some extent, what is newsworthy depends on the target audience. This is especially true of the values of “relevance” and “human interest. What’s newsworthy to a 15-year old will be different from that of a senior citizen. What’s newsworthy to a city dweller may be less newsworthy to one who lives in a small town.
