A PPT teachers can use to discuss what makes a news story worth reporting. Includes questions and homework.

1. The Qualities of Newsworthiness
WHAT IS NEWS?

2. Start with questions.
 “For whom am I writing? Who is my
audience?”
 Then ask, “Which of these categories is most
important or interesting to that audience
with the facts I have at this time?”

3. Conflict
 Conflict holds the interest of observers,
whether physical or emotional. It can be open
conflict, such as a civil uprising against police
authority, or it may be ideological conflict
between political candidates.
 Think of the types of conflict you know about
from English class.
 What are some of the types of conflict you can use
for news stories?

4. Impact/Consequence
 The fact that a car hit a utility pole isn't news,
unless, as a consequence, power is lost at
school for several hours.
 The fact that a computer virus found its way
into a computer system might not be news
until it shuts down the internet at school and
forces a day of “tech free” teaching.
 Is the story relevant to readers?

5. Novelty
 As the saying goes, “When a dog bites a man,
no one cares. When the man bites back – now
that’s a news story.”
 Deviation from the normal, expected course
of events is something novel, and thus
newsworthy.

6. Proximity
 How close to the community did the news
happen? Chances are if four ILS students are
killed in a car accident, it will be considered
news. However, if four students are killed in a
car accident at a high school in Michigan, it
may pass without notice.
 But there are exceptions. In reporting world
news, the writer must work to localize
connections.

7. Prominence
 If one of the students killed in the
hypothetical car accident in Michigan is a
basketball phenom or a famous actor, it may
get covered.
 Readers want to know about well-knows
people.
 If a Supreme Court Justice gets married, it's
news; if Sally Smith, your next-door neighbor,
gets married, it probably isn't.

8. Timeliness
 It’s called NEWs for a reason: it’s new.
 Will the story still matter in an
hour/day/week/month?
 News stories should be produced in a timely
matter so that it is still relevant to readers.
 Feature stories are different because the have
a different purpose.
 Review: What is that purpose?

9. Useful
 A story that gives readers practical facts or
advice is one that is likely to interest them.
 What can readers use from this story to help
them live healthier/better/easier etc.?

10. Entertaining/Human Interest
 Human-interest stories are generally soft
news or features.
 They are about, and focus on, people or one
person. They tell the story from that person’s
point of view and include feelings, reactions,
quotes etc.
 Interesting characters or heart-felt stories are
key!

11. At the end, ask one question:
 So what?
 What do we call the “so what” of a story?
 Stories presented from this perspective often
have explicit statements to the audience
about the impact or value.

12. A question of economy
 The relationship between journalist and
audience can bee seen an economic relationship.
 It is an exchange of effort (of reading a
newspaper) for benefit (what reader gets from
buying the paper and reading the story). In
effect, readers or audience members make an
economic decision about their attention to news
content. They ask, in effect, “Is the effort, time
and money that I spend to consume (read, view,
listen) the story worth it?”

13.  Readers or audience members
make an economic decision about
their attention to news content.
 They ask, in effect, “Is the effort, time and
money that I spend to consume (read, view,
listen) the story worth it?”
 You want their answer to be “Yes!”

14. Adapted from:
 http://www.cybercollege.com/newscrit.htm
 http://journalism.about.com/od/reporting/a/n
ewsworthy.htm
 The American Society of News Editors
(ASNE) Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI)

15. Homework
 Find two stories, one from a news website (CNN, NY Times,
Miami Herald, BBC, etc.) and the other from a tabloid or
gossip website (TMZ, Hello Magazine, OK Magazine,
People).
 Discuss the newsworthiness of each story, using what you
have learned as a guide. Discuss each element individually
in two or three sentences. If the story does NOT have one
of the qualities, discuss how this affects the overall impact
of the story. Finally, summarize your findings and tell me
whether you think the story is news worthy or not. Write
neatly and in APA style in your writing. Turn in the articles
(or links to them) along with your written evaluation. Each
evaluation should be about a page long.
 We will discuss your findings next class.