News is information that is published in a news medium. Its content consists of events that are recent in time. The newness of the events in question is an important element in news reporting. This article discusses the various criteria used for selecting news stories. It also explores the sources and influences of news stories. These are crucial elements in creating news stories that attract audience attention and maintain their credibility.
Content of news stories
The content of news stories can be characterized by their focus on people, power, or social problems. While it is important to have some objective information, the news primarily focuses on people and their experiences in dealing with a particular situation. In this way, news offers a sort of nonrational connection to audiences. In addition, news stories may include a biography of the person involved, either explicitly included in a personality profile or scattered throughout the story. Even though news stories can be about different subjects, the basic plot is always about people and their experiences and reactions.
Moreover, the media also has a tendency to encourage its audiences to feel sympathy for the events it covers. It does this by using exaggerations, simplifications, and selective attention. The news also portrays power plays, which can influence audiences’ perceptions of reality.
Criteria for selecting news stories
A news story should meet several criteria before being considered newsworthy. These characteristics include timeliness, proximity, uniqueness, impact, prominence, conflict, and emotion. Additionally, the story should be relevant to the public or be happening in the world today. These criteria help journalists identify newsworthy stories that can attract a large audience.
A good news story should be easy to understand and well written. It should also be balanced, accurate, and truthful. The journalist should avoid inserting his or her own opinions into the story. Many advocacy groups choose to tell their stories through the media, since this is an inexpensive way to reach policy makers, funders, and the general public.
Sources of news stories
There are several different sources of news stories. Newspapers websites, radio bulletins, television newscasts, and blogs are all sources of news stories. Most news stories originate from these sources. Journalists and other media players also contribute news stories. Nevertheless, the contribution of other actors and citizens to the news agenda is minimal.
The sources of news stories depend on the type of information. For example, a news story about an earthquake or a landslide may be based on a document from an expert. On the other hand, a news story about a shooting may be based on the reporter’s beat report.
Influences on selection of news stories
The quality of news stories is associated with certain factors that have different impacts on the readership of different news outlets. Some of these factors are perceived as important, and others are considered as unimportant. For example, proximity and eliteness positively affect the importance of news stories. The latter, however, is not the only factor that affects the quality of news.
The size of the issue and the number of people affected by it are both important influences on the newsworthiness of a story. For instance, a news story about an income tax increase is likely to generate a lot of public interest, as it affects the pocketbook of most people. Another factor that affects newsworthiness is the shareability of the story, which is measured by the probability that it will be shared widely on social media.