Is it newsworthy?

Should we run it now? Will our audience care?

most important stuff

fluffystuff

What is newsworthy?

Newsworthiness is the idea that the information is or is not of interest to your audience.

The newsworthy five

1: Timing2: Significance

3: Proximity4: Prominence

5: Human Interest

1: Timing–Information is current and new–With communication instantaneous, old news is quickly discarded

The newsworthy 5

OMG! Fifty-year-old Demi Moore is marrying Ashton Kutcher, who is only 34!–A story with only average interest needs to be

told quickly if it is to be told at all– If it happened today, it's news– If the same thing happened last week, it's not

2: Significance• The number of people affected by

the story is important– A plane crash in which hundreds of

people died is more significant than a crash killing one

– The hurricane destroyed $4.5 million in property and killed twenty people.

The newsworthy 5

What’s more important – people or property?

3: Proximity• Stories which happen near to us have more

significance and newsworthiness– For someone living in France, a major plane crash in the

USA has a similar news value to a small plane crash near Paris

• Proximity doesn't have to mean geographical distance– Stories from countries with which we have a particular

bond have the same effect– Australians would relate more to a story from a fellow

Western nation from a much closer Asian country

The newsworthy 5

Proximity is who is “close” to you

4: Prominence• Famous people get more coverage

just because they are famous– If you break your arm it won't make the

news, but if the Queen of England breaks her arm, it's big news

The newsworthy 5

Face it: the Queen is more important to more people than you are. Bummer,

huh?

5: Human Interest• Human interest stories often

disregard the main rules of newsworthiness– They don't date as quickly– They need not affect a large number of

people– It may not matter where in the world

the story takes place

The newsworthy 5

Take a look: human interest is human

interest

Do I run the story?

An article should be run if it has at

least 2 of the Newsworthy 5

Is this newsworthy?

Indicate if these stories are newsworthy to readers of the

Houston Chronicle

Is this newsworthy?

A man bumps his head, recovers from amnesia, and returns to the wife he left 15

years earlier.

Yes, Human Interest

Is this newsworthy?

A whale swims the wrong way in the English Channel and is trapped. All of Great Britain is captivated by its

struggle.Yes, Human

Interest

Is this newsworthy?

Missouri City native Jalen Finner is named MVP of the

Hawaii Bowl after Rice defeats Fresno State 30-6 on Christmas Eve, 2014.Yes, Proximity

Is this newsworthy?

90 Year Old President George H.W. Bush is

released from the hospital after a seven day stay.

Yes, Prominence

Is this newsworthy?

Singer Chris Brown arrested for assault on girlfriend

Rihanna.

No, Timeliness (old news)

Is this newsworthy?

Two winners in Saturday’s record

Texas Powerball jackpot are from Fort Bend County.

Yes, Timing and Proximity

Is this newsworthy?

A Milwaukee to Houston flight was delayed yesterday

after a passenger found a shotgun shell near his seat.

Yes, Timing, Proximity and

Significance

Assignment Part 1: newsworthiness

• Instructions– Click on the article heading (Article 1) above to read the article– Determine which of the Newsworthy 5 characteristics were

present to earn publication of this article on the Houston Chronicle website and put an “X” in the relevant space

– Save this slide (ONLY SLIDE 18) as [last name] Newsworthy Chronicle 1 and submit to Mr. Nigrelli via Google Drive by the end of class on Wednesday, February 18th

  Article 1 Article 2 Article 3 Article 4Timing        Significance        Proximity        Prominence        Human Interest        

Assignment part 2: newsworthiness

• Instructions– Log on to www.dallasnews.com and, using the Newsworthy

5, locate articles which represent at least one of the characteristics

– Copy the URL and paste it in the space next to the characteristic

– Save this slide (ONLY SLIDE 19) as [last name] Newsworthy DMN 1 and submit to Mr. Nigrelli via Google Drive by the end of class on Friday, February 20th

  Article 1 Article 2 Article 3 Article 4Timing  [paste URL here]      Significance        Proximity        Prominence        Human Interest