Sunday, March 27, 2011

What Makes Something Newsworthy?

Reporters, and editors, make countless decisions each day regarding the value or newsworthy nature of a story.  But what is newsworthy?  The Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines newsworthy as something "interesting enough to the general public to warrant reporting" and my, oh my, is that definition very vague.
My belief on this subject centers around some basic concepts that are essential to good journalism.

The factors that suggest a newsworthy nature to any story should hold a great impact on readers, listeners or viewers.  In this sense, the story must contain real consequences for the individual or the society.  9/11 or the earthquake in Japan are significant events that convey bold and dramatic outcomes for all of us.  Moreover, the element of conflict (human vs human or human vs nature or human vs oneself) is central to the newworthy definition because we are interested in the conflict that presents daily life as a drama.  This is why the coverage of wars always lead the news.

Prominance and proximity are two key aspects.  The more known a person, or entity, is, then the more likely a featured story will surface.  If that prominant subject is close to your locale, then interest is peeked and more media are consumed.

When you watch, listen or read today's news, try to think about the significance of its newsworthy nature.
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2 comments:

  1. Erikah EdlundMarch 28, 2011 at 7:21 AM

    I think that you are correct regarding what makes something newsworthy. But I also think that we are being taught as to what is really newsworthy. Why else, at a time when people are dying overseas in the wars and terrible things are going on with our economy, etc, was the entire country centered around the fact that Justin Beiber cut his hair? This was big news for at least a couple days. Was that really all that newsworthy? I think we are being taught to care too much about fluff, and we don't have as much capacity and patience for the heavier news anymore.

    -Erikah Edlund

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  2. UnknownMarch 28, 2011 at 7:52 PM

    Recently, the stories have been a bit more newsworthy in my opinion. The tsunami in Japan has affected the entire world, for one reason or another. Also, the coverage of Libya is another newsworthy story. It really hits home for many people because the United States could end up sending troops there. Even though these are big stories at the moment, there are also plenty of stories that do not seem newsworthy to me, such as the royal wedding. Altogether, people now seem to be more interested in celebrities now than real hard-hitting stories

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