Elements of the News
©1998-2002 Sue and Dean Barr, Eugene, OR
http://www.coolschool.k12.or.us/courses/190200/lessons/lesson4/...
billflechtner@mail.coolschool.k12.or.us
Learning to assess news value with the
Elements of the News
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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Conflict Conflict involves tension, surprise, suspense and opposing forces.
Why do strikes make news? Wars? Even sports events? They all
have the element of conflict. Humans are always in a state of conflict
with the environment. One example is when Mount St. Helens
in Washington state, in the northwestern United States, blew its
top in 1980. This is the only volcanic eruption in the continental
United States in recent time. More often than not humans are also
in conflict with one another. Everything from doctors fighting to
discover a cure for AIDS to local homeowners fighting to keep
a tavern from going into their neighborhood has an element of
conflict. Not all conflicts, however, make news. If two freshmen
boys get into a fight, who cares? But if a freshman boy beats up
the school principal, that's news, mainly because the principal is
prominent.
Progress Progress makes news, and whether it is local, national or international
determines where and how it is reported. A rise in SAT scores in the
United States, a cure for cancer, the completion of a new mall, a species
being taken off the endangered list are all progress, and therefore
newsworthy.
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
or will happen will have an effect on a large number of people, then it
has more consequence than something that will affect fewer people.
In considering consequence, ask yourself how many people will be
affected.
Proximity also affects consequence. A severe wind storm in one area is
of great consequence to those living there, but of little consequence to
a more distant state or country. However, a devastating frost in Florida
may have consequence for the entire United States if citrus fruits are
damaged, affecting both availability and cost. Hurricane Andrew, which
slammed into Florida in 1992, is described as the most costly natural
disaster in the United States.
Worldwide we hear of terrorism, conflicts in the Mideast, economic
strife in Russia, droughts in Africa and unrest in Northern Ireland.
Communication technology, such as television (and now the Internet)
and air travel, have made our world a small, global community of sorts,
and, therefore, what happens in other countries can be of consequence
to us all.
We learn of scientific discoveries, health concerns, political unrest and
inflation, which may have consequences for millions of people.
But let's get down to the high school level. This element may be applied
there as well. Say the star quarterback of the football team is flunking a class
and becomes ineligible to play. His academic status is more important to
more people because of the consequence — the team may lose the big game
coming up. But if you're flunking a class, it may be of consequence to no
one but you — and your parents.
Consequence also involves localizing the news. Say, for example, that the
State of Oregon in the U.S.A. allocates more money for public schools,
which were hurt with the passage of two property tax limitation bills,
Measure 5 and Measure 50. This is important to cover because it has
consequence for education throughout the state. However, if you are
a high school student in a school in Oregon, as a responsible student
journalist you need to localize this information and explain to your
high school audience what the consequence is for your school district,
and, more specifically, your school. How much money will come to
your district and your school? What will be done with it and how will
it affect the quality of education?
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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.
Variety If the occurrence is unusual, strange, or has never happened before, it
is likely to be newsworthy. Variety is closely related to human interest,
as with Baby Jessica.
Humor People like to laugh, so some incident that is humorous is likely to
be reported. Make sure, however, that such reports do not become
hurtful or inappropriate in content.
Terms
Qualities, such as timeliness, proximity, conflict, progress,
consequence, prominence, human interest, variety, and humor
that create interest in a news event and help determine its
newsworthiness.
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