Media Skills 2014!Week 4: News values !

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Dr Kane Hopkins

What is News?

News stops people in their tracks, it is arresting, happening and action. It is local, affects people’s lives, shocks, informs, entertains, saddens, angers, surprises and feeds people’s curiosity… if a dog bites a man it may not rate a mention but a man biting a dog is national news.

Hudson (1994)

Newsworthiness

• Every day, millions of events occur throughout the world…only some of them become “news”

• To be selected as news, an event or issue must be judged “newsworthy” by a journalist, and enter into the news cycle

• What makes an event or issue “newsworthy”? A journalist has an instinct or “nose” for news; attempts to codify this have led to the identification of “news values” (or factors driving the selection and presentation of news)

News Values

Professional codes used in the selection, construction and presentation of news stories in corporately produced mainstream press and broadcasting

O’Sullivan (1983, p. 153)

News Values

• News stories usually include a range of criteria or ‘news values’ (Johnston, 2007, p.45)

• When seeking publicity, it’s important you share newsworkers’ understandings of what is and what is not news – allowing you to be proactive and relevant (but note there are still no guarantees of coverage!)

• Remember the commercial imperative that drives news, and that the media have no obligation to report about you or your organisation

News Values

• Journalists acquire their news sense through learning on the job. They learn that there is an unwritten kind of news ‘style’ of the publication or program they work for. Thus, they need to fit into this style.

• Reporters develop a sense of their own organisation’s market pitch, competitors, and audience.

News Values

• News values are an informal code. Nowhere is there a manual for newsworthiness

- Partly because it is unique to each publication- Partly because the ‘rules’ are not supposed to exist

• News is supposed to be reported on public interest merit—much of it is, it’s the defining of ‘public interest’ where it gets tricky

NEGATIVITYIs the news bad or undesirable?

TIMELINESSIs the news new?

CONFLICTIs there any controversy?

PROXIMITYHow close to home is the story?

ELITE PEOPLEDo we already know the person?

ELITE NATIONSIs the country one that is familiar?

PROMINENCEAre the people involved famous?

HUMAN INTERESTDoes the story play on our emotions?

SIMPLIFICATIONIs the story unambiguous?

Impact of News Values

• The institutional nature of news and newsgathering means stories about the economy, government/politics, industry, foreign and domestic affairs (especially those involving conflict, human interest, disasters, sport) will be prioritised

• Within these above arenas, personalisation, conflict, violence, reference to elite people and nations, and negativity will be prioritised (and often will be emphasised in presentation).

Your ability to understand the media in commercial terms and help them win the ratings and circulations battles with your news is crucial to gaining publicity

Hudson (1994)

Tips + Tactics (1)

• Monitor the media, taking notes of which outlets and sections (e.g. arts, property) cover similar organisations and topics (or your competitors!); capitalise on the current news agenda too

• Keep records of news coverage gained• Identify opportunities and train/prepare relevant staff for

these• Cover all potential angles to maximise opportunities and limit

damaging situations but don’t alter facts, mislead or exaggerate details.

Tips + Tactics (2)

• Be aware of what different formats exist within different media of television, radio, internet, magazines …but also…

• Think creatively about objectives rather than always getting caught up with content

• Don’t alienate media with mediocre ideas; save your approaches for genuine solid offerings and you will get a good reputation as someone to listen to

Tips + Tactics (3)

• News does not always take the form of a straight report; more publicity can sometimes be gained by adapting news to different styles of presentation

• Don’t forget the light hearted or quirky news opportunities• Check Hudson (pages 22-24) for numerous ideas for news

opportunities, from new equipment to awards to community assistance projects and research

• Or consider creating news through making predictions, offering analysis, undertaking polls, etc. (pp.27-30)