1. News Values & News Elements
COM140
Spring 2019

2. What is “news?”
Journalism is the exercise of judgment and discretion by people trained to organize information in a way that makes it meaningful to specific audiences.
There is a need for journalists who understand how to turn information into news.
News: It’s true, it’s new, it matters to you and your audience. And it’s information that does something.

3. NEWS VALUE Timeliness 5. Prominence Proximity 6. Conflict
Impact 7. Novelty
Magnitude 8. Emotional Appeal

4. NEWS VALUE (cont)
How does news value manifest itself in how we tell the story?
Examples: Let’s look at some of Tuesday’s headlines.
"An Ohio city is ditching Columbus Day to make Election Day a paid holiday" -- Washington Post
"Millions of Americans could be surprised as their tax refunds shrink" -- Washington Post
"Danbury student's suicide sets off social media firestorm" -- New Haven Register

5. NEWS ELEMENTS The basic building blocks to the story
Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?
Today, journalists don’t just answer these questions in text, but they have an “unprecedented array of storytelling techniques from which to choose—and an unprecedented burden to choose their techniques wisely.”

6. WHO? Headlines from Wednesday
Ex-boyfriend arrested in death of woman found in suitcase
Mark Kelly to run for senate in Arizona

7. WHAT? An action, or a phenomenon, or an object.
‘El Chapo’ found guilty on all counts in federal trial

8. WHEN? & WHERE?
Lake Shore Drive bridge opens in time for Thursday evening rush hour
Monday’s snow beat expectations in Seattle, and this month is the snowiest in 50 years

9. WHY?
For ‘Why?’, we look to contextual stories, explanatory pieces, analysis and opinions.
Why polar bears invaded a Russian town

10. HOW? This is about “process.” How did this happen?
The story behind how Cardi B ended up in that half-shell-inspired Mugler gown