News elements and it's sources, Lecture notes of Mass Communication

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NEWS ELEMENTS AND NEWS

SOURCES

SUBMITTED BY: RIYA GARG ( BALLB; II

SEM)

INTRODUCTION Newly received or noteworthy information, especially about recent events is called news. News is anything printable. It is an account of an event or a fact or an opinion that interests people. It is a timely, concise, accurate report of an event; it is not the event itself. Although there is no fixed definition for news, the news may also be defined as “anything you didn’t know yesterday”, “what people talk about”, “what a well trained editor decides to put in his paper”, “anything timely”, “the report of an event” and “tomorrow’s history”.

Prominence  (^) A well-known person, place, or event has a stronger news angle than something that the audience isn’t familiar with.  (^) News outlets covered the story when model Tyra Banks completed a management program at Harvard’s School of Business in 2012. Banks’s celebrity profile raised the news value of a story that would have received little or no attention had it involved just about anyone else.

Proximity Proximity considers the location of the event in relation to the target audience of the media outlet. Audiences are more likely to pay attention to stories that take place in their local communities. For example, a news station in Ohio usually wouldn’t cover day-to-day events at the Indiana State Fair. However, happenings at the annual Ohio State Fair always get daily coverage in central Ohio news outlets

Impact Generally, people are more likely to care about stories that directly affect their lives; therefore, media gatekeepers often devote more time and resources to stories that have implications for their respective audience. The United Kingdom’s vote to exit the European Union in June 2016 had global implications, and many media outlets in the U.S. and abroad reported the story. However, British news stations such as BBC News and Sky News covered the event more extensively than American media did because the decision impacts Britain’s economy and citizens much more so than Americans.

Conflict Strife or power struggles between individuals or ethnic groups or organizations contain a conflict value and often grab the attention of audiences. For example, stories about war, crime, and social discord are newsworthy because their conflict narrative spurs interest. The continuous coverage by U.S. media outlets of worldwide terrorism is another example. Stories about major sports competitions, such as the National Basketball Association finals or the Super Bowl, also contain a conflict element because teams are vying for a prestigious title.

 (^) News agencies: They are the foot soldiers of journalism at a national and international level, allowing media organizations to cover stories in areas where they have a few or no staff. Agencies keep a check on offices and local bodies and look out for news stories here. Newspapers, radio, television, big news media houses, depends largely on the news agencies for general news coverage. Some famous agencies are AP(Associated press pf American print), PTI(Press Trust of India), etc.  (^) Academic journals: Research by academics, published in journals is a frequent source of news stories. Here the journalist’s job is to spot a potential story among qualifications and to render the story intelligibly to others.

 (^) Court hearings: Court reporters dip in and out of several courtrooms looking for cases that fit the news values. Hence, the importance of good contact with court staff, police, solicitors and others should be realized. Some reporters will also go after background material like quotes from victims and their relatives.  (^) Health authorities and hospitals: Outbreak of serious disease, funding crisis, hospital closures and health promotion are all examples of news stories that arise from health authorities. Hospitals are source of good news stories carrying news about cures, new treatments and general triumph over tragedy.

 (^) Armed forces: In peacetime the armed forces can generate stories through mysterious deaths or cases of bullying that comes to light. During times of conflict military briefing become events in their own right.  (^) Commerce and trade: Business organizations can be useful source of news stories or comments about anything from interest rates, shares to shopping. Also, customer stories are a valuable source of information for evaluating the image of an organization.  (^) Campaigns: Campaigners who want to influence public opinion on subjects ranging from animal rights to environment are likely to come up with opinions or events that might generate news stories.

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