Media studies Chapter 2

: What is News?
Criteria of news
The criteria by the news:
 Is it new?
 Is it unusual?
 Is it interesting or significant?
 Is it about?

Is it new?
If it is not new, it cannot be news. The assassinations of Mrs Ghandi is unusual, interesting,
significant and about people, but it cannot possibly be reported in tomorrow’s papers, because it
is not new.
If some facts about assassination became known as the first time, however that would be news.
The assassination would be new, but the information would be.
Events which happened days or even weeks earlier cab still be news, as long as they have not been
reported before. If you are telling a story for the first time, it is new to your readers or listeners and
therefore it can be news.
News of the death or mao Tse-tung for instance, was not released to the world by the Chinese
government for several days; when they release it, however, it was still very definitely news.

Is it unusual?
Things are happening at all time, but not all of them news, even when they are new. A man wakes
up, eats breakfast and goes to work on a bus; it is only just happening, but nobody wants to read
about it because it is unusual. Ordinary and everyday things do not make news.
Of course if that same men were 90 years old and was still catching it the bus to work every day.
It would be unusual.
The classic of definination of news is, “dogs bites a man “is not news; “man bites dog “is news. ,
though, this definition is not universal. If dogs are eaten in your society ( at feats, for instance, )
then it would be not news when a man bites a dog- so long as it has been cooked.
What is usual in one society may be unusual in another, again we will expect the content or the
news to vary from the society to society, though, whatever is unusual is likely to be new.
Is it interesting?
Events which are new and unusual may still not be general interest. Scientists may report that
insect has just been found living on a plant which it did not previously inhabit. The discover is
new, and the event is unusual, but it is unlikely to interest anybody other than a specialist or
enthusiast.
In a specialist publication this could be news, but in a general news broadcast or paper it would
merit at most a few words.

Is it significant ?
However, if that same insect was one which had a huge appetite, and which had previously live on
and eaten bush grass and if new plant on which it had been found was rice, then the story becomes
new because it is significant.
People may not be interested in bugs, but they are interested in food. if this insect is now
threatening their crops, it becomes a matter of concern to them. It is new because it is significant.
Similarly, if a peasant famer says that the roman Catholic church should ordain women priests,
that is not news. If an archbishop says it, it is news because what he says on the subject is
significant. It is the views of people such as archbishop which help to form the policy of the church.
Once again, what is interesting or significant in one society may not be interesting or significant
in another. The content of news may be different, therefore in different societies, but the way it is
identified will be the same.

Is it about people?
Most of news is automatically about people, because it is the things of the people do not change
the world which makes news.
However, news can also be made by none human sources, such as cyclone, a bush fire, a drought
a volcanic eruption, or an earthquake. It is when reporting these stories that is important to make
sure that the story is centered on people.
The cyclone would not matter if it blew itself out of the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a way from
any inhabited islands. The fire could burn as long as it like in the bush where nobody lives; the
Sahara deserts has a near-permanent drought, but in the most of it body is there to rely on rains, a
volcanic eruption or an earthquake which damages nobody’s property and injures nobody is really
not news.
 Stories.
Factors which makes stories weak or strong.
 Closeness: the same event happening in different places have quite different news values.
 Personal impact: people can identify with stories about other people like themselves. So
those stories with which many people can identify are stronger than those which only apply
to a few.

Where does news come from?

Conflicts: this category includes wars, strikes, revolutions, secessionist group, tribal and clan
fights, elections and the power battles of publics.
Disaster & Tragedy: this may include air crushes, train crashes, ships sinking, volcanic eruptions,
earthquakes or human tragedies like children falling down deep wells from which they cannot be
rescued.
Progress and development: development is always news from the developing country. The report
should always be on how the changes affect people’s lives, for better or worse.
Crime: any crime can be news, whether it is a road traffic offence, break and enter corruption,
forgery, rape or murder.
Money: these stories include fortunes made and lost, school fees, taxes, the budget, food prices,
wage rise, economic crises and compensation claims.
The underdog: this is one of the great themes of literature and drama.
Religion: there are two types of religious news story, first, there are events involving people’s
religious lives, such as building of new church or pilgrimage. Second, there are statements by
religious leaders on moral and spiritual affairs, such as contraception or salvation.
Famous people: prominent men and women makes news. It is especially news worthy when they
fall from power, lose their money or are involved in a scandal.
Sex: all societies are interested in sex, even if they do not talk about it openly. Many news stories
about sex involve behavior which goes outside societys generally accepted standards.