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News judgment

News judgment. Deciding what to cover. Decisions, decisions …. There are several news values we use when deciding what to cover as news. Selecting coverage topics is subjective – it is an art, not a science. There are no measurable specifics that help us decide newsworthiness.

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News judgment

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  1. News judgment Deciding what to cover

  2. Decisions, decisions … • There are several news values we use when deciding what to cover as news. • Selecting coverage topics is subjective – it is an art, not a science. There are no measurable specifics that help us decide newsworthiness.

  3. It may not be popular • What we cover as news may not be something people like. • It is sometimes unpleasant. • Stories can have a real and sometimes immediate impact on people and society at large.

  4. Common news values • Conflict • Currency • Impact • Prominence • Proximity • Timeliness • Human Interest • Unusual

  5. Conflict • News coverage often involves disputes: Court cases, political fights, zoning disputes, land use, etc. • Coverage sometimes seen as negative, but often provides us with differing points of view. • Drama • Politics and sports

  6. Currency • Some events are newsworthy because they are current and ongoing. • For example:- Federal health care debate- Senate race in Massachusetts- Conan O’Brien, Jay Leno, NBC mess- Brangelina divorce?

  7. Impact • An issue that has a wide-ranging consequence for the audience. • For example:- Tax changes. Tuition increases.- Parking on CMU campus.- Severe weather.- Health care breakthrough.

  8. Prominence • Well-known public figures can generate news based on their celebrity status. • Some people may be prominent within your coverage area, but not well-known everywhere. For example:- Kathy Wilbur, Dan Enos, Dan LeFevour

  9. Proximity • Events that happen within your local coverage area. Close to home. • What is local?- Events that happen within the physical coverage area.- Events that are of interest to people in the coverage area. For example: oil, sugar beets, alternative energy, the auto industry …

  10. Timeliness • The “new” in news. • News decays over time. More people are going to find out about things as time goes on. • In today’s world, timeliness is more important than ever for the media.

  11. Human interest • Stories about specific people and interesting qualities or conditions related to their lives. • Overcoming obstacles. Dealing with difficult circumstances. Medical challenges. • An 8-year-old who constantly gets stopped for being on the “no-fly” list.

  12. Unusual • Things that are out of the ordinary. • May be hobbies or areas of interest. • Oddities. • Old rule of thumb – if a dog bites a man, it’s not news. If a man bites a dog, that’s news. • Can be fun, humorous stories.

  13. Beyond news values • Some other practical considerations that we take into account when deciding what to cover: • Were people killed or injured in the event? Death and injury are usually the most important parts of an event. • Was property damaged? Fires, vandalism, weather, etc.

  14. Continued … • How many people were involved? More people involved = greater news interest on the part of the audience. • For example:- A storm that knocks out electricity to 60,000 people is of more interest than one that sidelines 60 people.- City commission rezones a piece of property and raises city sales tax. Which one affects more people?

  15. Money, money, money • The amount of money involved in a story is important and interesting to readers. • Taxes, public works, roads, new buildings, tearing down old buildings. What is the cost? Who is paying? • Corporate profits, jobs, economy. • Cost of living and quality of life issues.

  16. Different points of view? • The news value of conflict often involves differing points of view. • We try to give voice to all legitimate points of view on the issues. • Not every single point of view always has to be given equal treatment. But we should give all legitimate points of view an opportunity to be heard.

  17. Of audience interest • Some topics are of more interest to your specific audience, due to proximity, conflict, impact, etc. • For example, here in mid-Michigan:- Higher education. Native American community. Casino. Oil interests. Agriculture. Wood chippers. Refrigeration equipment.

  18. To summarize • We use the news values to decide what to cover, and what to emphasize in our coverage. • We need to know our audience and our communities to know what types of coverage they are looking for. • We’re always making decisions.

  19. Questions?

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