WHAT IS NEWS? Part 2

Who decides? How does news get to be news?

“Gatekeepers”  Too much information out there; can’t possibly put it all in newspaper or broadcast.  Each news outlet has a person or people who select what will be the news for that “edition.”  Those people are gatekeepers. Also known as …  Editors  Producers  Directors

What criteria do you think gatekeepers use in making their decisions? Making Decisions

How are you a gatekeeper? You = personal gatekeeper

Playing Gatekeeper  Pretend you’re the editor of a Scott High School newspaper or podcast.  On a sheet of paper, make 3 columns  Label them: “News,” “Sports, “Student Life”  List 3 ideas for stories in each category

Playing Gatekeeper - 2  Trade papers  “Grade” each idea:  X = doesn’t interest you  √ = interests you   = interests you a lot  Trade papers again

What criteria did you use to make your decisions? Top Stories?

3 Criteria  Facts  Adequate  Accurate  Timely  Audience  Who will be reading?  What are their values? Interests?  Interest  Have meaning to the audience

These factors influence the news that gets to public (different from newsworthiness) 6 Factors

Factor 1: News hole  the amount of space in the newspaper or time in a newscast available for news  what determines news hole? business factors  Web: not too much of a factor

Factor 2: News flow  the number of news stories available to run at any one time  Example: Sports Illustrated

Factor 3: Medium  some stories play better on TV than in newspaper & vice versa newspapers – many stories, some depth magazines – depth, some perspective radio – fastest & sound TV – fast & pictures Internet -- hybrid

Factor 4: Deadlines  the latest time a story can be finished in order to be printed in that paper or shown on that newscast  Game-changers:  24-hour cable  Internet

Factor 5: Editorial Philosophy  what a media outlet chooses to cover

Factor 6: Business  What sells!

Where does news come from? Finding News

Beats  Beat  A regular assignment give to reporters  A place reporters go to regularly to get info  Reporters work a beat to find stories  Gain expertise & contacts—which lead to stories

Sources  Source  Someone who provides information to a journalist  Journalists develop regular sources through their beat assignments  People contact reporters with stories

“Local Angle”  Local Connection – a fact or person that connects a story originating elsewhere to the local audience  George Clooney – “Maysville native”  War in Afghanistan – local soldiers involvement (killed or wounded)  Local groups raising money or collecting supplies for Haitian earthquake victims

Chad Ochocinco: 'Dancing with the Stars' will help in off-season Bengals wide receiver practices four hours daily with partner Cheryl Burke By John Kiesewetter com March 9, 2010 Chad Ochocinco took a few minutes away from “Dancing with the Stars” practice to provide a scouting report on his attempt to master the cha-cha in three weeks. “It’s extremely, extremely hard,” says Ochocinco, 32, one of 11 celebrities who will compete on the hit ABC show that starts March 22.

“Local Angle” – 2  Local Focus – bringing a larger national or international story into the local community  Swine flue – local update  Local impact of national controversies

Follow Up  “Next day”  Reporting that follows up on a story from the previous day  Futures file  Coming back to a story for a planned update