News values

Hard and soft news

Hard news. Events that are timely and are covered almost automatically by print and electronic media. A speech by a ranking public official or a natural disaster are examples.

Soft news. Events that are usually not considered immediately important to a wide audience. Many of these still merit coverage. A math fair at an elementary school would be an example.

News values

Timeliness Proximity Conflict or controversy Disaster or tragedy Eminence and Prominence Consequence and Impact Human Interest Novelty – the weird factor Magnitude Currency Helpfulness Entertainment Special interest Cooperation/Consensus Common experience

You decide the front page

Choose five stories, ranked 1 to 5. (1 being most important) (You are an editor at a statewide metro newspaper based in Salt Lake

a. Unsolved child murders are a daily incident

b. Granato paints Lee as an extremist

c. Regulators back new bank rules to avert crises

d. GOP leader says he’ll compromise on tax-cut bill

e. City’s DUI arrests have doubled

Timeliness

Is it a recent development, or is it old news? GOP takes Kennedy’s longtime Senate seat

Proximity

Is the story relevant to local readers? Driver License Division lines

Conflict

Is the issue developing, has it been resolved or does anybody care?

Obama pressing for protections against lenders

Eminence and prominence

Are noteworthy people involved? If so, that makes the story more important.

Obama pressing for protections against lenders

Consequence and Impact

What effect will the story have on readers? Children Awake? Then they’re probably online

Novelty/Weirdness

Out of the ordinary. “Dog bites man” is not news. “Man bites dog” is.

Man tries to fake attack, dies of blood loss

Human interest

Even though it might not be an earth-shattering event, does it contain unique, interesting elements.

You saw that in Avatar? Pass the glasses. Whittingham staying put: More offers for Ute

coach

Other factors

Cycle Competition Availability The news hole Photography-graphics Instincts of editors The audience Philosophy of the

medium

Influence of advertisers The news mix Changing demographics

Los Angeles Times Safety Progeny Health