News is defined as a group of activities that are generally of interest to people. There is a wide range of events that fall into the category. However, what makes an event newsworthy is not always easy to define. In this article, I will review a number of common factors that contribute to a story’s newsworthiness.
The first factor is the extent of its impact on readers. An unusual event will have a greater impact on readers than an ordinary one. Another factor is how many people are affected. A person who bites a dog will not make the news, while a 90-year-old man still taking a bus will.
Second, a news story must be interesting to readers. It must also be significant and new. Lastly, a news story must not violate canons of good taste. If the story violates those canons, it is not likely to be considered news.
Some of the most common topics for news reports include war and scandal. Stories about these can have a strong effect on readers. Other topics may be less relevant to readers. For example, a peasant farmer’s comments about a bug that is affecting his crop would not be considered news.
Many news outlets have a dedicated section for items that are unlikely to become news. This area often features stories based on witty headlines, lists and entertaining photographs. Entertainment stories can also be categorized as those that are about showbusiness, human interest, sex, animals or the environment.
While the way a news story is judged is the same everywhere, there are differences in how news is evaluated. Some newspapers, for instance, will give extra attention to a story that is about a celebrity or a powerful person.
Similarly, stories about violence can have a big impact on readers. Although not always newsworthy, extreme behavior such as an assassination or a terrorist attack is a story worth covering.
Finally, a news story must be surprising. It can be in the form of a surprise news item or an element of surprise in the story itself.
Throughout history, government proclamations have been considered news. Today, news is more likely to be made by non-human sources. Moreover, technological advances have greatly increased the speed of the spread of news.
While these factors help explain some of the factors that contribute to a news story’s success, they are just part of the process. What is important is that a story is about people. That is what is most interesting to readers. But it isn’t necessarily important that the subject matter is controversial or rife with canons of good taste.
Ultimately, news values can only provide a partial explanation of how journalists choose to select and cover news stories. They are not a substitute for empirical studies on the subject. Nonetheless, they can be used as a foundation for further exploration and analysis. Hopefully, this article has served to enlighten readers on the factors that contribute to a news story’s newsworthiness.