2. Galtung and Ruge – News Values
What makes a newsworthy
story?
Stories which fit into these
categories are more likely to
make it into the news
broadcast/newspaper
3. • Continuity – carries on with a story that is already in the
news
• Familiarity – to do with people or places close to home –
sometimes the ‘local’ angle is played up e.g. the British
people aboard the plane shot down over the Ukraine or
the one that was flown into the Alps
• Elite Persons – to do with a famous or important person
• Negativity – bad news/suffering
• Conflict – war/fighting/argument
• Unexpectedness – sudden or unusual event
• Personalisation – a story with a human interest angle or
one that can be portrayed through how it affects a
person
• Consonance – fits with the way the institution or
audience already thinks
4. • Of course stories can have more than one of
these news values
• “Malaysian Airline Flight MH370 disappears
suddenly. All passengers are presumed dead.
Islamic terrorists suspected at first. Two British
people on board, feared dead.”
• This contains Unexpectedness, Negativity,
Conflict, Consonance and Familiarity
5. • 1. Model Reeva Steenkamp is reported dead. She has
been shot and killed in the home she shared with Oscar
Pistorius.
• 2. Oscar Pistorius is arrested and charged with murder.
• 3. Masked gunmen occupy more official buildings in the
eastern Ukraine, while Russian President Vladimir Putin
amasses more troops on the Russian border with
Ukraine. The outbreak of war is widely feared.
• 4. Teenager Michael Piggin from Loughbrough denies
accusations that he was plotting another Columbine-
style massacre. Piggin, 18. laughed in court as he said his
threats to bomb a school playground were just a joke.
Which NEWS VALUES make these stories newsworthy?
6. News Values
• First identified by Norwegian academic Galtung and Rouge in 1965
• Built on by Harcup’s News Values – reflect current trends in British
and Global News
• A. The Power Elite – news regarding powerful individual,
organisations and institutions
• B. Celebrity – people who already famous
• C. Entertainment – focus on sex, show business, human interest,
animals, unfolding dramas or offer opportunity for humour
• D. Surprise/Contrast
• E. Bad News
• F. Good News
• G. Magnitude – news significant regarding the volume of people
involved
• H. Relevance – news concerning issues, groups, nations relevant to
the audience
• I. Follow-ups – bulletins on subject featured recently
• J. News Agenda – stories that set/fit the news organisations own
agenda such as information/entertainment
