Some people wouldn’t know a story if it bit them on the bottom. It’s instantly having that feel that there’s a story to tell.
2. Media has become fragmented. So many people have access to producing video and audio content. Is it trustworthy? Journalists now have had to provide content for multi platforms. 3. Story telling is at the heart of journalism; journalists make judgments on professional experience; all journalists are content providers 4. Point made by Greg Dyke, former BBC DG. Do not be manipulated
Journalists are news makers. They set the news agenda. They determine how the audience will perceive issues and stories. They present information to the the widest audience and cover all kinds of people. Spin drs and PR try to put twist on the news but journalists need to search for the truth. News is constructed but we have to think of ways of developing new audiences for news. 4 - in people, places, issues, events, current affairs. What are the issues of the day? Be a jack of all trades but master of none Ambition, determination, enthusiasm. It’s not about presenting. It is not glamourous. You need to be open minded, creative and see the bigger picture. Do not be blinkered. Do something - get work experience. Start at the bottom and work up.
Newsworthiness depends on circumstances surrounding it and the target audience group.
Highly subjective but every day people in the media need to decide which stories deserve coverage Put yourself into the shoes of the viewer, listener, reader - what do they want ? Attracting viewers, readers, etc is important - without them you have no media - those in news have to present what is called infotainment - information presented in an entertaining way. Think about space – newspaper with a few pages has a higher threshold than one with lots of space to fill. Radio and TV has a higher threshold than newspapers because it has less space, Logistics – news gathering process. Having access of people and institutions. Editors cannot afford to have reporters sat around twiddling thumbs. Courts, councils, sports generate stories regularly. Time – an event must be topical with publication period. No paper will carry a story that has happened earlier than the publication of the previous edition. Radio and TV bulletins update news on last bulletin.
Tip offs - beware of anonymous sources; question the motives of people offering tip offs, seek a second source, protect your sources and understand off the record List servs are subscriber based - like an electronic magazine - all journalists should subscribe to these especially if you are investigating a subject area as you’ll get up-to-date information on subjects Newsgroups on the internet (journalism) - you can post messages on boards. News filters alert you to news stories breaking - BBC have an e-mail news alert All journalists should visit places on the web where news is being alerted. Favorite them. Read them every day. Keep abreast of what is happening.
Galtung and Ruge’s news criteria – published research in the Journal of International Peace Research in 1965. Looked at presentation of Cuba, Congo and Cyprus crises in four foreign newspapers. Harcup and O’Neill updated these in 2001 to include celebrity, entertainment, surprise, bad news, good news, magnitude, relevance, follow-ups, media agenda. Topcial – wars are topical. Some events continue over long periods. The 2 nd WW, gulf war, etc.
New journalists have a problem with the very start - finding an idea - where do I start?
What more do we need to know?
The title refers to what the news editor will ask you. Reporters need to sell the story to the editor. They judge the story against news values. Journalism is about finding and telling stories. A nose for news means someone who knows what a story is and doesn’t need someone from outside to tell them what they should be covering. News values tell us what is newsworthy and it comes down to who the audience is. There has to be a reason for gathering the story
What makes a news story? Just because someone approaches you and says I’ve got a great story for you does not mean it is. A newsworthy event is not necessarily news. News is something published or broadcast. Newsworthiness depends on circumstances - TA and the issues surrounding it
Will the TA empathise with it? Is it serious enough to have an effect - do they need to know it? Conflict or tragedy Quirky? Surprising? Does it make the audience smile? Laugh? Is it entertaining? Does it engage the audience? Does it stir up emotions? as above Relevant to the locality Can it be followed up? Is it personal? NEWS MUST BE TOPICAL = FRESH.