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Elements of news judgment

Elements of news judgment. What editors take into account. What is news?. What is news?. Curtis D. MacDougall 1938 classic “Interpretative Reporting” “News is an account of an event which a newspaper prints in the belief that by so doing it will profit.”. Deciding what’s news.

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Elements of news judgment

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  1. Elements of news judgment What editors take into account

  2. What is news?

  3. What is news? • Curtis D. MacDougall • 1938 classic “Interpretative Reporting” • “News is an account of an event which a newspaper prints in the belief that by so doing it will profit.”

  4. Deciding what’s news

  5. Deciding what’s news • Timeliness

  6. Deciding what’s news • Timeliness • Impact

  7. Deciding what’s news • Timeliness • Impact • Singularity (uniqueness)

  8. Deciding what’s news • Timeliness • Impact • Singularity (uniqueness) • Proximity

  9. Deciding what’s news • Timeliness • Impact • Singularity (uniqueness) • Proximity • Prominence

  10. Deciding what’s news • Timeliness • Impact • Singularity (uniqueness) • Proximity • Prominence • Conflict

  11. Timeliness • Something that just happened is newsier than something that happened a while ago

  12. Timeliness • Something that just happened is newsier than something that happened a while ago • Key on the latest development, not the original incident

  13. Impact • Real, not theoretical

  14. Impact • Real, not theoretical • “World could end tomorrow”

  15. Impact • Real, not theoretical • “World could end tomorrow” • Death is the ultimate impact

  16. Impact • Real, not theoretical • “World could end tomorrow” • Death is the ultimate impact • Numbers also matter (how many)

  17. Singularity

  18. Singularity • “Man bites dog”

  19. Singularity • “Man bites dog” • Coincidence

  20. Proximity • Local angle

  21. Proximity • Local angle • How to define?

  22. Proximity • Local angle • How to define? • In some cases, local local; in other cases the whole state, region or country

  23. Proximity • Local angle • How to define? • In some cases, local local; in other cases the whole state, region or country • Just because something happened nearby doesn’t mean it’s newsworthy

  24. Prominence

  25. Prominence • Celebrity

  26. Prominence • Celebrity • A famous person

  27. Prominence • Celebrity • A famous person • This does NOT refer to groups

  28. Prominence • Celebrity • A famous person • This does NOT refer to groups • A story about a teacher is not necessarily newsworthy just because teachers occupy a prominent place in society

  29. Conflict

  30. Conflict • Ranges from policy disputes

  31. Conflict • Ranges from policy disputes • To sports rivalries

  32. Conflict • Ranges from policy disputes • To sports rivalries • To shooting wars

  33. Always a balancing act

  34. Always a balancing act • Stories that have more elements of news are likely to be stronger than those with fewer

  35. Always a balancing act • Stories that have more elements of news are likely to be stronger than those with fewer • But there are gradations within each category

  36. Always a balancing act • Stories that have more elements of news are likely to be stronger than those with fewer • But there are gradations within each category • Bigger & smaller celebrities; bigger & smaller impacts; bigger & smaller conflicts

  37. Who are our readers?

  38. Who are our readers? • Local Oshkosh paper

  39. Who are our readers? • Local Oshkosh paper • Traditional values

  40. Who are our readers? • Local Oshkosh paper • Traditional values • Homogeneous

  41. Who are our readers? • Local Oshkosh paper • Traditional values • Homogeneous • Sports/outdoors

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