WHAT IS “NEWS”? Intro to Journalism

Divide into groups of 3-4 Share your stories—tell what each story is about in 1 sentence As a group, decide why each story is “news” Make a list of all your reasons (“characteristics”) 3 News Stories

Your definition? So, What Is “News”?

Throughout the years, journalists have tried to answer the question: “What is news?” Other Voices

David Brinkley 1960s-1970s NBC News anchorman  Editorial Judgment News is … “what I say it is.”

Stanley Walker 1930s New York Herald Tribune editor  Sensationalism News is … “women, wampum and wrong- doing” (sex, money & crime)

John B. Bogart 19 th Century editor, New York Sun  Unusualness “When a dog bites man, it isn’t news. But when a man bites a dog, it’s news.”

ABC executive producer  Personal Impact “People are interested in stories about how safe the world is, how safe their families are, and how safe their money is.”

News is information that is not previously known and has some impact on audience. So, What Is “News”?

What elements must a story have to make it “newsworthy”? Characteristics of News

Timeliness  A characteristic of a news story that is reported as soon as it happens  The closer to the event, the better  Anniversaries

Timeliness examples

Prominence  A characteristic of a news story about someone whose name or job is well known & easily recognized by the public.  Audience determines who is prominent

Prominence examples

Proximity  A characteristic of a news story that happens close to home.  The closer to home, the more newsworthy  Local angles give proximity to more universal stories

Proximity examples

Conflict  A characteristic of a news story that involves two sides engaged in a “battle” from which one will emerge the victor.  Winners and losers easy to report  Same appeal as fiction

Conflict examples

Impact  A characteristic of a news story based on the effect or consequence the story will have on the audience.  Greater the impact, the more newsworthy  More local or wide-spread the impact, the more newsworthy

Impact examples

Human Interest  A characteristic of a news story about people, usually those involved in some emotional struggle.  Unusualness or other characteristics determine newsworthiness

Human Interest example

In your small groups, label the news characteristics in each story. Look at your news stories