1 Welcome to Journalism 203 Media Writing I Week 1

2 The nature of news Convergence – We are constantly bombarded with news from different mediums. –Print –Web –Broadcast –PDA’s, other media Civic journalism –Becoming involved in communities –Importance to a democratic society

3 What is news? Three primary characteristics –Relevance –Usefulness –Interest Context-specific definitions –Audience

4 News values Relevance –Importance to audience Usefulness –Provides information that can influence audience members’ lives Interest –Can be a combination of relevance and usefulness, or it can be simply interesting

5 News values – key elements Specific elements –Impact How many people? How much? –Conflict Struggles –Novelty “Man bites dog” –Prominence Who?

6 News values – key elements Proximity –Close to home Timeliness –Before rather than after

7 Changing audiences Online –News when and where you want it Print news audiences want: –News –Relevant to them and their community –Some world and national news –Gimmicks alone won’t do it –Practical and useful information they can use

8 Changing audiences Journalists no longer just gatekeepers on information Journalists are navigators Demographics –51 percent women –30 percent ages 18 to 34 –25 percent ethnic minorities and immigrant groups –21 percent adults over 50 –15 percent ages 5 to 17

9 Changing audiences Gen X want list –Visual snap –Densely Layered –Interaction –Relevance –Diversity More “hope,” not just “catastrophe” and “absurdity”

10 New Journalism Democracy isn’t working as well as it should Journalists should try to do something about it Goodwill at the expense of Independence?

11 Accuracy and fairness “The best obtainable version of the truth” Journalists find and write the facts –Hard to get the facts –What do they mean? –Is it really a fact? –Time limitations and/or space limitations

12 Accuracy and fairness Names spelled correctly Facts correct Context questions Both sides of the story All possible viewpoints

13 Frames Viewpoint or perspective on story or topic Audience’s point of view? Colorado Springs Gazette and the school bond issue –Students –Parents –Teachers –Taxpayers

14 Objectivity Is it possible? What does it really mean? The Hutchins Commission (1947) “... truthful, comprehensive and intelligent account of the day’s event in a context which gives them meaning.”