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THE NEWS

«A news story has to contain something that is unusual, that has a new informative value, that
people have never heard of and, as a crucial factor, that is in people's interests. This idea is not
only about matters affecting the lives of the public, but also matters that arouse their interest.»
- Randall: 38

Randall says there are as many definitions of news as journalistic stories, starting with the
traditional idea that «when a dog bites a man it's not news, but when a man bites a dog it's
already news» - John B. Bogart (editor of the New York Sun): 1882

«News is the essence of Journalism, since its interest is defined based on the social need for
information.» - M. González

• There is no universal formula for making a news story;

• The media that, par excellence, work with the news, are the so-called News Agencies;
• News is not a vehicle of opinion.

News is the essence of journalism, its raw material. News is all the new event that interests the
readers to whom the diary is addressed.

«The news, in a pure state, always follows a surprising event, curious or out of the ordinary
and, above all, recent.» - Aléx Grijelmo: 2003

«We understand by news all the true, current and general interest facts, as well as their written
representation.» - Daniel Ricardo: 1989

THE JOURNALISTIC EVENT

Journalistic Activity → commonly defined as "transformation of the event into news"; for this
reason, it is said that we currently live in a "Happen Society", which reports various types of
events.

Morin, in 1972, systematized the definition of event through two characteristics:

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• The event is all that happens in time;

• The event is all that is unlikely, singular and accidental.

Essential elements of the Journalistic Event:

• Variation in the system;

• Communicability of the fact;
• Subject implication.

Factors that turn information into news:

• Be recent;
• Be immediate;
• Which circulate.

Necessary conditions – news basis

• Current affairs;
• Veracity;
• Meaning OR Impact;
• Conflict;
• Interest (which is divided into values):

▪ Proximity;
▪ Importance;
▪ Human content;
▪ Originality.

WHAT FEATURES SHOULD THE NEWS HAVE?

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Of the many theses presented by different authors about what characteristics the news should
have, one of them focuses on the issue of Quality. Gans, for example, argues that the quality of
the news is based on certain principles, among them:

• Action;
• Rhythm;
• Exhaustive character;
• Clarity of Language.

News as Informative Content

A news story can be considered as content. However, content does not necessarily have to be
news.

A text produced by a student, for example, that is disseminated on the Internet, is not news,
even if it may have similarities. But why is that?

1. Because the news are made by professionals, with a portfolio, who follow a Code of
Ethics;
2. Because the news are published in the Media.

The two characteristics mentioned above give guarantees of rigour, credibility and exemption.

Elements that make up the news

María Pilar Diezhandino argues that there are four elements that make up the news, elements
that can sometimes be confused:

• The facts;
• What happened;
• The subjects;
• The events.

Types of news
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There are several types of news, among them are:

• Summary;
• Space;
• Chronological;
• Human interest;
• Thematic;
• Direct;
• Complementary;
• Creative.

THE LEAD

The classic norms of journalism are not always followed, but according to current standards,
the news should begin with a paragraph, known as Lead. This paragraph has the function of
summarizing the essentials of information.

Lead must be:

• Simple;
• Direct;
• Concise.

This first paragraph shall:

• Always contain an element of novelty.

• Answer the following questions (Anglo-Saxon tradition, “five w’s + how”):

▪ WHAT IS IT? (What has happened, is happening or will happen);

▪ WHO? (The agents of action, the protagonists);
▪ WHEN? (The day and/or time);
▪ WHERE? (The place of the event);
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▪ WHY? (The reasons and consequences);

▪ HOW? (The circumstances).

+/- consensual rules on Lead:

• It must be approximately 300 characters or 30/35 words;

• It should not have a negative formulation;
• It should not have an interrogative formulation;
• Generalizations should be avoided;
• One should avoid starting with quotations and/or numbers.

NEWS BODY

After the Lead, the news, in your body, should present the remaining elements of the event.

These events should be:

• Data that explains and extends lead;

• Data that helps to place the news in a given context;
• Secondary or minor material (to fill).

The technique of the pyramids

The facts that are reported in the news must be chained according to a logical organization.

The trend that has been most followed is the one that indicates that the → information elements
should arise according to their importance, in a descending logic Inverted Pyramid.
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The Normal Pyramid, mixed pyramid and block building are also known.

TITLES

The titles consist of three essential characteristics:

• Announce and summarize the information contained in the news;

• Convince of the interest of what is being counted;
• Have a life of their own and be intelligible by themselves.

«Titles should not be airtight, enigmatic, obscure, pedantic and accessible only to the author.»
- Grandim

«A good title is that it holds the reader's attention, is explicit and, at the same time, mysterious.»
- Daniel Ricardo

The rules of titles accepted by newspapers in general:

• Do not "break" words in the line change;

• Do not use endpoints;
• Do not use defined articles;
• Do not repeat words;
• Only use widely known acronyms.
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NEWS BUILDING RULES

Short, clear and concise sentences and paragraphs: 1 idea / 1 information / 1 sentence

• Build sentences and refuse inaccuracy and ambiguity;

• Sort ideas;
• List paragraphs;
• Uses keywords;
• Do not start successive sentences in the same way;
• Do not repeat words in the same sentence.
• Unfold little-known acronyms;
• Explain little known technical terms;
• Only use titles when they add information;
• Do not use the first person;
• Avoid adjectives;
• Avoid phrases made;
• Assign the citations;
• Do not use articles defined next to the name;
• Accurately identify the location;
• Respect the accuracy of information.