1. Journalism Matters: Chapter 3 What is News?
Hart

2. What is news?
Brainstorm with class
Definition
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3. Textbook definition
News is information not previously known that is delivered through the mass media and has some impact on the audience.

4. gatekeeper
A label put on those individuals, such as newspaper editors and broadcast news directors, who determine what stories will be news for their communities.
As student journalisms, we are gatekeepers for CSHS.
What are some stories students here would be interested in?

5. Characteristics of the news
Information not previously known that is delivered through the mass media and has some impact on the audience
Timeliness
Prominence
Proximity
Impact
Human Interest

6. Timeliness
A characteristic of a news storya bout an event that is reported as soon as it happens.
Many stories only “run” the day they happen. News is timely the day it happens.
School newspapers are not published frequently enough to carry truly timely news.
Most stories, therefore, are written as preview, timeless or consequence stories (stories that are news now as a result of earlier events).
Example?

7. Prominence
A characteristic of a news story about someone whose name or job is well known and easily recognized by the public.
People you recognize: the principal, student body president, etc.
Example?

8. Proximity Happens close to home
If a hurricane destroys a small town in Florida, everyone in the US is interested because their fellow citizens are involved. But people in Florida are more interested than people in Arizona because it happened in their state.
Example?

9. Conflict
Two sides engaged in a “battle” from which one will emerge the winner, such as a story about war, an athletic competition or an election
Opposing forces create TENSION and SUSPENSE – what will happen?
Example?

10. Impact The effect or consequence the story will have on the audience
A story about a nuclear waste dump being built in Cave Creek has more immediate impact on you than one about the deforestation of the jungles in Brazil, yet both have consequences that will eventually affect you.
Example?

11. Human Interest
A story about people, usually those involved in some emotional struggle.
When a little girl got caught in a well in Texas, millions of people watched to see if she would be rescued.
Example?

12. “NEWS” Quiz In one sentence, define what is news.
REGARDING THE FIVE CATEGORIES THAT MAKE SOMETHING NEWS:
A story about people, usually those involved in some emotional struggle, is called _________.
The effect or consequence the story will have on the audience is called _______.
A characteristic of a news story about someone whose name or job is well known and easily recognized by the public is called ____________.
News is _______ the day it happens.
When it happens close to home, it’s called __________.

13. DAY 2: DO NOW
Working with your table group, use your notes from yesterday and make a list of the six characteristics of the news.
Now, find an example from current events for each. You may use your phone or a computer to look up current news events.
For example:
Timeliness: Last night’s storm took down the power lines in Cave Creek
Proximity: two boys struck by lightning in AZ
Do this on one sheet of paper, making sure all group member names are listed

14. Determining News
Journalists look to their community and its values and interests when selecting the stories they believe will interest and affect people.
They understand that some stories are of more interest to their readers and viewers, and that some have greater impact on the community’s economic or political future.
Each staff selects the stories it feels will be more important to its audience.

15. Finding news
Wire service: a membership organization that gathers news from around the world and distributes it to local members; the way most local media outlets receive national and international news.
Tip: an idea for a story. A tip may come from a reporter, from the public or from a beat source.
Budget: a list of the stories for the next newspaper or news broadcast. Budgets are determined by editors or producers.

16. Fact, Interest and Audience
The FACTS are the material for the story itself: the words, numbers and pictures that make up the story.
The facts must be adequate, accurate and timely.
The INTEREST indicates how much meaning the story has to the readers or viewers. What will it mean to their lives, their pocketbooks, their safety?
The AUDIENCE is the people who will be watching or reading the story and their values and interests.

17. Choosing stories using Facts, Interest and Audience
Rank the six stories you found at the beginning of class based on Facts, Interest and Audience – which story would you think students here at Cactus Shadows would be most interested in, and which the least?

18. TOP STORY
Definition: The most important story of the day, usually placed at the top of the front page or at the beginning of the newscast.
Read Fact, Interest and Audience for School Media, p.57
DO: p. 58 #s 1 & 2

19. DAY 3: DO NOW
On your own:
Choose one of the following non-local news stories and write a sentence or two on how we could make this story interesting to our audience – students at Cactus Shadows.
Stories to choose from:
At least 35 people killed in Italian bridge collapse
Navy finds nearly 3 tons of cocaine
Paris open air urinals cause uproar

20. Factors Influencing the News
A story that would be high on the budget today might not have been news if it had happened yesterday; and it might not make the news if it happens tomorrow.
How can the same story be news one day and not another day?
What is considered news on any one day depends on a number of factors not directly related to any single story.

21. Size of the news hole
News hole: the amount of space in the newspaper or website, or time in a newscast, available for news.
The CS Press has 4 pages of news
Broadcast news generally has 22 minutes for news
24-hour news cycle – limitless?

22. News Flow
News Flow: the number of news stories available to run at any one time.
Cut – removed from the budget. A cut occurs when a story that is planned gets set aside because a more significant story appears before the paper is printed, or the newscast is run.
For example, our front page story may be on the new football field, but suddenly we find out that our football team has been fined and will not be able to play three games – THAT becomes the front page story.

23. Medium
When choosing what stories to pursue, we must consider the medium: newspaper, website, video broadcast, radio, etc.
The newspaper is limited to only 1 or 2 photos, whereas the web page has no limit.
Sometimes, we publish a story in the paper and also do a video broadcast on the web page.

24. Deadlines
Definition: the latest time a story can be finished in order to be printed in that paper or shown on that newscast
Much much different than a due date for other classes – why?

25. Finding News
So, now we know how journalists recognize news, but how do they find all of those stories?
News Judgment: a sense that experienced journalists develop about what event make good news stories.
Beat: a regular assignment given to reporters; a place reporters go regularly to get information, such as the courthouse, schools, the police department or the city council.

26. Professional sources Journalists use their competitors as sources.
We can do the same thing: exchanges with other schools, etc.

27. Localizing News
Journalists find stories in news that originates in other places, and make it news by finding a local angle.
Local angle: a fact or person that connects a story which originates in another location to the local audience.
Localizing: to find someone or something in your community that has a tie to a story from somewhere else and then to report it in order to make the story more interesting to local readers.

28. Futures Files
Definition: A list or file containing ideas for stories and dates of upcoming events for future issues of a publication or a later newscast
DO: p. 66, #1 and 2
HOMEWORK: p. 66, #3