What is news? It is a report of recent events; material reported in a newspaper or news cast. This part of the definition seems to consist of circular logic. The question being; is it news because it is being reported, or is it being reported because it is news? What ever the answer to that question, the information being reported on must be interesting to the general public and it must be of timely value. This means; is the news current and of value to the consumer. The information must not have been reported before, because once it is published it is no longer news, but history. Another statement that I found interesting is this, “An event may be newsworthy, but doesn’t become news until it is published.” I am not sire who said that. The statement seems to use the same circular logic as before.
Just because a journalist is interested in an event does not make it news. So the question is; how do we define the news? One way to figure it out is if the readers are interested in the story, the more readers interested and the more intense their interest the greater the news value for the event, or person. It is kinda like the reporter/journalist is the gate keeper of information.
The editor has a strong responsibility and requires these three things in a story:
- Authenticity and Accuracy
- Good taste
- Mass appeal
Authenticity and Accuracy
The story must have facts from credible sources. If the facts are not accurate then the journalist would loose credibility, as would the paper or blog he is writing for. In the world of journalism, reputations are made with lots of work and sweat. While it can be ruined with one sloppy story.
Reporters ensure that what they write is meaningful and consistent and reflect the reality of the situation. The story a reporter writes should be interesting. It should collect the readers interest. It should also give information that has worth to the reader. When some one takes the time to read something and when they have to pay a subscription to read it, we have an obligation to write in a way that is going to enlighten and inform the reader and even entertain. So not only is the journalist a gate keeper, but an educator and entertainer. This is does not mean that journalists should write only to entertain, but he needs to write the story in such a way as to engage the reader. In doing this he needs to be consistent with the information in reflecting the facts of the story. When gathering information on an article the reporter will hear many different sides of the issue and he must wade through all of it and find the true facts and report on them. The journalist must find and report the reality of the situation. Though mistakes in research are common, they are not tolerated and MUST be fixed before publication. The reader demands and has the right to believe what he reads. The reader uses what he reads to make decisions that are important to him or her. It is the duty of a journalist to report accurately and without bias, so the reader can use the information well.
Good Taste
The reporter will avoid vulgarities and obscenities. The shock value of profanity is a given. However, a journalist must learn how to gather the attention of her audience in other ways besides being offensive. Some shock jocks may find their use of offensive language and vulgar repartee a way to get their audiences attention, but a good reporter has the use of language and simile to grab the attention of readers. I ask; do we always have to screem to be heard, or can the soft though strong and confident voice of a considered opinion make a more profound point. Neither a callous nor hardened voice is what we are looking for. Don't confuse gory details for objective reporting. As reporters, we report facts. Sensational or inflammatory language will get short term attention but is not the role of a journalist.
Mass Appeal
Be of worth to a significant segment of the audience. There are 10 elements to mass appeal which we will discuss later.
Timeliness
We spoke about this a little earlier, but news is perishable. It can be the most important thing to the greatest audience one minute, then of little interest the next. However a new twist or developing angle---some discloses, a scintillating fact---can revitalize interest and thus news worthiness of a story.
Prominence
Important people are more news worthy than others. The same holds true for places. Events hold true for this factor of news worthiness too. If a person is murdered in a back alley of a large city, the news may not even take notice. BUT! If a prominent politician is killed in the same alley…
On the other hand, if there is a fire that decimates a small town library, it may be mentioned by a local or even regional news carrier, but little notice will be taken outside of the immediate area. However, if a fire takes the Library of Congress… The same holds true for a Little League baseball game compared to the World Series. To put it another way, while a person, place or event may be of importance to the local area, it may not be very important to others out side of the area.
Let’s some up the idea of proximity with a short allegory from the recent news. The other day, in Afghanistan, some 900 inmates escaped from a facility. Yes, it made the news here, after all it is a pretty big event . What would the news coverage be like it the same thing happened at a supermax prison here in the USA, say there was a prison break during the rodeo at Angola?
http://www.thegully.com/actions/journalism/what_is_news.html, The GULLY | Journalism Resources | What is News?
http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/special_initiatives/toolkit/news_industry/what_is_it_news.cfm, What is News?
