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3: What is News?

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    294849
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    To be a journalist, you need to tell your audience the news. This might seem obvious, but what is news? Once you know what news is, and how to find it, you can start compiling your news package – anything from a story for print to a radio programme to a podcast for online distribution to a TikTok video, and more.

    News, in simple terms, means information that is new that people do not know yet and would like to know. It should be interesting. Anna McKane, former Reuters journalist, said in 2006:

    It [news] needs to be something that would interest your readers, and if they already know it, then it is not news. The first of these two criteria pinpoints one of the reasons why it can be hard for beginners to work out what news is: They need to put themselves in their readers’ shoes. They need to understand their readers and decide exactly what they are interested in.

    News is information,4 but it is a different kind of information. It usually contains something new or interesting that people do not know yet but would like to know. News is presented in a very specific way; news stories are written in certain ways (discussed in chapter 6).

    For traditional mass media who need to make money from news, news must also have commercial value. For some types of mass media who depend on grants or donations or other types of income, news values are influenced by the objective of the organisation, such as telling the stories of marginalised voices, or giving people a voice to talk about issues in their small communities. For non-profit media outlets, the commercial value of news is not important; they do not need to make money from the stories they tell. For these types of media outlets, the value of news is determined by the types of stories they feel need to be told. But no matter what type of news values guide you, news must always be ethical and factual (the ethics of news is discussed in chapter 7).

    Traditionally in journalism, a news story is not told in the same way as a fictional story. It does not start at the beginning (“Once upon a time”) and end with an ending. It starts with whatever is the most interesting news, with the most important facts of the story, right in the first paragraph and first sentence, and then follows a certain style. This is what is known as the inverted-pyramid style of news writing (explained in detail in chapter 6). In the digital era, many journalists follow different styles of storytelling online. One popular way is the T-structure, where the most interesting part of the story is at the top (the horizontal line of the T), because this is what readers see first and the rest of the story follows the vertical line of the T in any way the writer wants, often in a narrative or chronological way (this is also explained in chapter 6).

    • 3.1: Some News Values
      This page explains news values that dictate newsworthiness and audience engagement, such as timeliness, impact, proximity, controversy, prominence, currency, oddity, human interest, size, and "how to" stories. Timeliness focuses on recent events, impact on audiences, and local relevance, while controversy, prominence, and trending topics enhance public interest. Oddity and human interest capture attention through unusual and relatable narratives.
    • 3.2: What do the audience want?
      This page discusses the dual role of news organizations in delivering essential information for democracy while seeking profitability. It highlights the importance of audience engagement through social media and analytics to tailor news coverage, reflecting diverse interests across demographics. Journalists must balance necessary reporting with engaging content, while non-profit outlets may prioritize broader societal aims over commercial interests.
    • 3.3: Types of News
      This page outlines the differences between hard news and soft news. Hard news, prioritizing urgent topics such as war and crime, is presented concisely in an inverted pyramid format. Soft news, on the other hand, covers broader interest stories with a narrative style that may include engaging anecdotes. The page also notes that some stories can blend characteristics of both hard and soft news.
    • 3.4: News beats
      This page explores news "beats," which are specialized journalism categories covering topics like health, science, and politics. Staff shortages have led to journalists covering multiple beats, while specialized outlets retain experts in niches like technology and entertainment. It emphasizes the importance of fact-checking and reviews as significant trends in contemporary journalism.
    • 3.5: How to find the News
      This page outlines strategies for journalists to uncover newsworthy stories, emphasizing proactive approaches rather than waiting for news to appear. Key sources include events, leaks, research, and community tips, using tools like event schedules, social media, and personal networks. Follow-ups on previous stories and document analysis are highlighted as methods for gaining new insights. The content sets the stage for further exploration of newsroom types and journalistic practices.

    Reference:

    1. Parts of this chapter were adapted from a public domain textbook by the United States Department of State, The Handbook of Independent Journalism, written by Deborah Potter (2006), available at: https://ufdc.ufl.edu/AA00011644/00001/pdf, Public Domain.

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