1. WHAT IS “NEWS”? Intro to Journalism

2. Divide into groups of 3-4 Share your stories—tell what each story is about in 1 sentence As a group, decide why each story is “news” Make a list of all your reasons (“characteristics”) 3 News Stories

3. Your definition? So, What Is “News”?

4. Throughout the years, journalists have tried to answer the question: “What is news?” Other Voices

5. David Brinkley 1960s-1970s NBC News anchorman  Editorial Judgment News is … “what I say it is.”

6. Stanley Walker 1930s New York Herald Tribune editor  Sensationalism News is … “women, wampum and wrong- doing” (sex, money & crime)

7. John B. Bogart 19 th Century editor, New York Sun  Unusualness “When a dog bites man, it isn’t news. But when a man bites a dog, it’s news.”

8. ABC executive producer  Personal Impact “People are interested in stories about how safe the world is, how safe their families are, and how safe their money is.”

9. News is information that is not previously known and has some impact on audience. So, What Is “News”?

10. What elements must a story have to make it “newsworthy”? Characteristics of News

11. Timeliness  A characteristic of a news story that is reported as soon as it happens  The closer to the event, the better  Anniversaries

12. Timeliness examples

13. Prominence  A characteristic of a news story about someone whose name or job is well known & easily recognized by the public.  Audience determines who is prominent

14. Prominence examples

15. Proximity  A characteristic of a news story that happens close to home.  The closer to home, the more newsworthy  Local angles give proximity to more universal stories

16. Proximity examples

17. Conflict  A characteristic of a news story that involves two sides engaged in a “battle” from which one will emerge the victor.  Winners and losers easy to report  Same appeal as fiction

18. Conflict examples

19. Impact  A characteristic of a news story based on the effect or consequence the story will have on the audience.  Greater the impact, the more newsworthy  More local or wide-spread the impact, the more newsworthy

20. Impact examples

21. Human Interest  A characteristic of a news story about people, usually those involved in some emotional struggle.  Unusualness or other characteristics determine newsworthiness

22. Human Interest example

23. In your small groups, label the news characteristics in each story. Look at your news stories