elements of news

Elements of Elements of NewsNews

What editors considerWhat editors consider

Slide Slide 11

What is news?1. Come up with your own definition of

what news is to share with class. Write this down.

2. Discuss with persons at your table.

3. As a group come up with a definition on which all can agree. Write this down.

4. How did the definition change?

5. Was it difficult to agree what news is?Slide Slide 22

What is news?“News is an account of an event which a

newspaper prints in the belief that by so doing it will

profit.”

“News is an account of an event which a

newspaper prints in the belief that by so doing it will

profit.”

Curtis D. MacDougall1938 classic

“Interpretative Reporting”

6.How does group’s definition compare to MacDougall’s?

Slide Slide 33

GatekeepersEditors* make decisions

based on criteria*Variation of criteria wording

existsHowever, reasoning is same

or similarControl what is reported

(gatekeeping)*Newsroom leaders

*A standard for judging or decidingSlide Slide 44

Newsworthy

Noteworthy as newsTopicalHaving value as news

Slide Slide 55

Deciding what’s news

7. Discuss with persons at your table how editors (people running TV, newspapers, etc.) decide what stories to run.

8. List top three criteria your table believes is important in deciding which items make something newsworthy.

Slide Slide 66

Elements of NewsCriteria for deciding what’s news

a)Timeliness

b)Prominence

c)Consequence

d)Proximity

e)Change / Progress / ActionSlide Slide 77

Elements of NewsCriteria for deciding what’s news

f)Concreteness / Impact

g)Personality / Human Interest

h)Rarity / Singularity (uniqueness)

i)ConflictSlide Slide 88

a) Timeliness

Something that just happened is newsier than something that happened a while ago

Key on the latest development, not the original incident

It’s new, otherwise, we’d call it “olds”

Slide Slide 99

b) Prominence

Celebrity, politicianA famousfamous personThis does not refer to groupsA story about a teacher is not

necessarily newsworthy just because teachers occupy a prominent place in society

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c) Consequence

ImportanceImportance of the event. How large number of people

will/did it an effect on?Less consequenceconsequence when affecting

fewer people. Ask yourself how many people will

be affected.

Slide Slide 1111

d) ProximityLocal angle*How to define?In some cases, local local; in other

cases the whole state, region or country

Think about a bull's eye, closer to center higher the score

Just because something happened nearby doesn’t mean it’s newsworthy

*direction story takes, slant

Slide Slide 1212

e) Change / Progress / Action

When there is a new or different way to do something

An advancement

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f) Concreteness / Impact

Real, not theoretical*“World could end tomorrow”Death is the ultimate impactNumbers also matter (how

many)

*in theory only, not tangible

(touchable)

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g) Personality / Human Interest

Anything that appeals to the reader’s emotionsemotions

Makes him laugh, cry, get angry, feel sympathy, etc….has the potential for human interest.

“Warm and fuzzy” feeling

Slide Slide 1515

h) Rarity/Singularity(uniqueness)

An unusualunusual, strange occurrenceMay have never happened beforeThe strange or unusual is

fascinating to many readers.Related to Personality/Human

Interest

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i) Conflict

Ranges from policy disputes (politics)

To sports rivalriesTo shooting warsAny time there is a struggle

Slide Slide 1717

Examples Set 1S1 Sarah Johnson has

always wanted a dog. Now a 10 week old puppy wiggles in her lap, frantically trying to lick her face.

S2 The Mustang football team will play Wilsonville tomorrow, hoping to continue its win streak.

S1 Sarah Johnson has always wanted a dog. Now a 10 week old puppy wiggles in her lap, frantically trying to lick her face.

S2 The Mustang football team will play Wilsonville tomorrow, hoping to continue its win streak.

Slide Slide 1818

A. TimelinessA. Timeliness

B. Prominence

B. Prominence

C. Consequen

ce

C. Consequen

ceD. ProximityD. Proximity

E. ChangeE. Change

F. Concretene

ss

F. Concretene

ss G. Personality G. Personality

H. Rarity H. Rarity

I. Conflict I. Conflict

Examples Set 2S3 Construction has closed

school entrances and closed portions of parking lots, forcing students and faculty alike to scramble to rearrange their normal patterns.

S4 It’s been 41 years since Arnold Palmer won the last of his seven major championships. But he’s still the biggest draw.

S3 Construction has closed school entrances and closed portions of parking lots, forcing students and faculty alike to scramble to rearrange their normal patterns.

S4 It’s been 41 years since Arnold Palmer won the last of his seven major championships. But he’s still the biggest draw.

Slide Slide 1919


B. Prominence

B. Prominence

C. Consequen

ce

C. Consequen


E. ChangeE. Change

F. Concretene

ss

F. Concretene


H. Rarity H. Rarity


Examples Set 3S5 Be the first to

know: "Like" the North Clackamas Schools Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NorthClackamasSchools to get regular posts about NC12 schools and community events.

S5 Be the first to know: "Like" the North Clackamas Schools Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NorthClackamasSchools to get regular posts about NC12 schools and community events.

Slide Slide 2020


B. Prominence

B. Prominence

C. Consequen

ce

C. Consequen


E. ChangeE. Change

F. Concretene

ss

F. Concretene


H. Rarity H. Rarity


Examples Set 4S6Geologists have

detected a fault zone tat stretching about 20 miles from the northern flank of Mt. Hood to the Columbia River. Hidden by trees and dense vegetation, it had previously gone unnoticed.

S6Geologists have detected a fault zone tat stretching about 20 miles from the northern flank of Mt. Hood to the Columbia River. Hidden by trees and dense vegetation, it had previously gone unnoticed.

Slide Slide 2121


B. Prominence

B. Prominence

C. Consequen

ce

C. Consequen


E. ChangeE. Change

F. Concretene

ss

F. Concretene


H. Rarity H. Rarity


Examples Set 5S7 Geologists have detected a

fault zone stretching about 20 miles from the northern flank of Mt. Hood to the Columbia River. Hidden by trees and dense vegetation, it had previously gone unnoticed.

S8 The founder of Zupan's Markets, a grocery chain in Oregon, has died, following a hit-and-run crash.

S7 Geologists have detected a fault zone stretching about 20 miles from the northern flank of Mt. Hood to the Columbia River. Hidden by trees and dense vegetation, it had previously gone unnoticed.

S8 The founder of Zupan's Markets, a grocery chain in Oregon, has died, following a hit-and-run crash.

Slide Slide 2222


B. Prominence

B. Prominence

C. Consequen

ce

C. Consequen


E. ChangeE. Change

F. Concretene

ss

F. Concretene


H. Rarity H. Rarity


Examples Set 6S9 People in one Tigard

neighborhood are fighting the city to keep a beaver dam in place.

S10 A former bathroom in the nation's oldest public park is being converted into a sandwich shop.

S9 People in one Tigard neighborhood are fighting the city to keep a beaver dam in place.

S10 A former bathroom in the nation's oldest public park is being converted into a sandwich shop.

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B. Prominence

B. Prominence

C. Consequen

ce

C. Consequen


E. ChangeE. Change

F. Concretene

ss

F. Concretene


H. Rarity H. Rarity


Examples Set 7S11 On September 25,

11 teams will test their mettle on The Amazing Race. One of the contestants this year is farmer and rancher Bill Alden, 63, of Albany, Ore.

S12 Crews work to protect historic Mt Hood buildings from wildfire.

S11 On September 25, 11 teams will test their mettle on The Amazing Race. One of the contestants this year is farmer and rancher Bill Alden, 63, of Albany, Ore.

S12 Crews work to protect historic Mt Hood buildings from wildfire.

Slide Slide 2424


B. Prominence

B. Prominence

C. Consequen

ce

C. Consequen


E. ChangeE. Change

F. Concretene

ss

F. Concretene


H. Rarity H. Rarity


Examples Set 8S13A top official in China's

turbulent Xinjiang region said security forces have defused a number of threats to public safety in recent weeks but is providing few details.

S14 MAX turns 25 on Friday, with TriMet celebrations planned in Portland and Gresham.

S13A top official in China's turbulent Xinjiang region said security forces have defused a number of threats to public safety in recent weeks but is providing few details.

S14 MAX turns 25 on Friday, with TriMet celebrations planned in Portland and Gresham.

Slide Slide 2525


B. Prominence

B. Prominence

C. Consequen

ce

C. Consequen


E. ChangeE. Change

F. Concretene

ss

F. Concretene


H. Rarity H. Rarity


Examples Set 9S15 Karen Grondin recently

opened Grapevine Graphics and Picture Framing at Singer Hill Cafe and Desserts at 623 Seventh St.

S16 A house fire in Damascus is estimated to have caused $150,000 worth of damage.

S15 Karen Grondin recently opened Grapevine Graphics and Picture Framing at Singer Hill Cafe and Desserts at 623 Seventh St.

S16 A house fire in Damascus is estimated to have caused $150,000 worth of damage.

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B. Prominence

B. Prominence

C. Consequen

ce

C. Consequen


E. ChangeE. Change

F. Concretene

ss

F. Concretene


H. Rarity H. Rarity


Examples Set 10S17 Oregon U.S. Sen. Jeff

Merkley is prepared to fully the support the Portland City Council if it chooses to request a waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s requirement to replace the city’s five open reservoirs.

S17 Oregon U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley is prepared to fully the support the Portland City Council if it chooses to request a waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s requirement to replace the city’s five open reservoirs.

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B. Prominence

B. Prominence

C. Consequen

ce

C. Consequen


E. ChangeE. Change

F. Concretene

ss

F. Concretene


H. Rarity H. Rarity


Examples Set 11S18 It’s been 10 years since

terrorists attacked New York’s Twin Towers and the Pentagon and passengers foiled another attack by crashing a plane into a Pennsylvania field.

S19 More than two decades since the great-grandmother’s first skydive, Frankie Bryant, 69, still loves the sensation of falling through the skies.

S18 It’s been 10 years since terrorists attacked New York’s Twin Towers and the Pentagon and passengers foiled another attack by crashing a plane into a Pennsylvania field.

S19 More than two decades since the great-grandmother’s first skydive, Frankie Bryant, 69, still loves the sensation of falling through the skies.

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B. Prominence

B. Prominence

C. Consequen

ce

C. Consequen


E. ChangeE. Change

F. Concretene

ss

F. Concretene


H. Rarity H. Rarity


Always a balancing act

Stories having more elements of news have stronger newsworthiness

But there are gradations within each category

Bigger & smaller celebrities; bigger & smaller impacts; bigger & smaller conflicts

Slide Slide 2929

Who are our readers?

Local paperTraditional valuesHomogeneous* vs.

heterogeneous*Sports/outdoors

*Same mix throughout*Different throughoutSlide Slide 3030

Three goals of journalism

InformEducateEntertain

3131

Goal of publisher*

Make money!* A person or company owning

a news organization

Slide Slide 3232

elements of news

Documents

editors people

definition change

elements of newscriteria

groups definition

fewer people

whats newsdiscuss

large number of people

strange occurrencemay