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Understanding News . Introduction to Journalism. A Definition of News. News must be factual, yet not all facts are news. News may be opinion, especially that of a prominent person or an authority on a particular subject. News is primarily about people, what they say and do.
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Understanding News Introduction to Journalism
A Definition of News • News must be factual, yet not all facts are news. • News may be opinion, especially that of a prominent person or an authority on a particular subject. • News is primarily about people, what they say and do. • News is not necessarily a report of a recent event. • What is important news to one community or school may be unimportant or have little or no news value in another community or school.
A Definition of News • What is news in one community or school may be news in every community or school. • What is news today is often not news tomorrow. • What is news for one person may not be news for another. • Two factors necessary to news, interest & importance, are not always synonymous (the same).
Interest & Importance • Potential Story #1: • The school board announces that a new cafeteria will be built for the school. • Potential Story #2: • The athletic director of a local school is being sued for sexual harassment by one of the coaches.
Which one has more interest? Importance to you? • Often stories that receive the most display in a news outlet are not very important to most readers or listeners. • One of the unique characteristics of a story that is not important, but interesting is a CONFLICT. • A mountain climber is rescued after being stranded on Mount Everest. • Man against nature conflict.
Possible Conflicts • Man vs. Man • Man vs. Nature • Man vs. Self • Man vs. Society • Man vs. Destiny/Fate
Hard News • Has significance for relatively large numbers of the audience about time-sensitive events • Major events in government, politics, foreign affairs, education, labor, religion, courts, financial markets • Example: • A software company plans to issue public stock.
Soft News • Less important because it entertains, though it also informs • Includes human interest and feature stories that relate to hard news • Appeals to emotions more than the intellect • Example: • A companion story about the person who started the same software company and his motorcycle collection.