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http://www.coolschool.k12.or.us/courses/190200/lessons/lesson4/...
billflechtner@mail.coolschool.k12.or.us
We've been talking about making good decisions -- informed judgments -- about
what facts to include in a news article and how much emphasis to give those facts.
Once the story is written, however, editors must determine how newsworthy a
story is, and, like a gatekeeper, decide which stories will be published or broadcast
and which will not. One way to determine newsworthiness is by evaluating the
elements of the news a story contains. The more elements a story contains, the more
newsworthy it is, and the more interested readers and listeners will be.
Timeliness Timeliness relates to the newness of facts. The more recent the
event or situation, the more likely it is to be newsworthy. Editors
deciding between two stories that are fairly equal, will select the
most recent or timely. Without timeliness, a publication will lose
readership. We receive up-to- the-minute news from radio and
television, and now can get breaking news from on-line newspapers
such as USA Today, which are updated regularly.
So what can a school newspaper that publishes infrequently do?
First, when covering events, focus on the story behind the event
-- the why. For example, why repeat blow by blow, play by play the
basketball game that took place two weeks ago? Find out players
and coaches opinions about why the team lost, what effect it will
have on the season, what happened to the defense, etc.
Second, concentrate on advance items. The basketball story could
focus on the upcoming game and its importance to the season.
Instead of just covering the school musical after it happens, run a
big story complete with photos before it opens.
Proximity Proximity simply refers to the nearness of the event. If it happens
nearby it is usually of more interest (more newsworthy) than if it
happens elsewhere. The school newspaper audience, for example,
wants to know about events in the school community, just as
local print and broadcast news sources cover stories that would
not be of interest to readers or viewers in other cities. National
and international news, which lacks the element of proximity, are
usually strong in other elements, such as consequence, conflict
Elements of the News and prominence.
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Prominence When it comes to news, people are not created equal. True, names
makes news, but some names make more news than others because
of their prominence. The famous, infamous and the eccentric have
a special appeal for the public. This element explains why the press
follows movie stars, interviews governors, and ran story after story on
President Bill Clinton's infidelities with White House intern Monica
Lewinsky, who became a household word in 1998.
You all know prominence plays a part in high school as well. The star
quarterback who is ineligible to play because he is flunking a class
has prominence, but some poor freshman flunking a class is not
newsworthy.
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Consequence This element refers to the importance of the event. If what has happened
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Human Human interest stories cause the reader to laugh or cry, to feel
Interest emotion. They tickle the funny bone, cause feelings of sorrow or pity or
amazement. Human interest stories deal with the qualities of love, hate,
compassion, sympathy, curiosity, anger and grief. Some journalists
describe human interest stories simply by saying they are stories about
people and events with which the reader can identify. Because of this,
human interest stories can overcome the lack of proximity. For example,
in 1987 when "Baby Jessica" fell into a 22-foot, 8-inch wide well, TV
viewers throughout the United States watched the 58-hour ordeal, and
cheered when she was rescued. Now a teenager, she says she has no
memory of the event.
Terms
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