Selecting Stories

1. & Starting to write Chap 2 Selecting Stories

2. A Journalists Role • What do you think the role of a journalist is in our society? • Where do you get most of your news information • Do you think it’s credible? Why/Why not?

3. In this chapter • We’ll look at the factors that • Assignment Managers & Producers • Consider when deciding which stories are worthy of inclusion in Radio and TV news programs.

4. Newsworthiness • Before we go into today’s lesson • Share with me your thoughts… • What makes something Newsworthy & Why • Video Clip

5. Does the video help? • Did it help you understand what news is? • Let’s look at some possible stories and decide whther or not they are worth pursuing

6. 21 Year old English college student • Trying to find a way to get money for books • Builds a website to sell 1 million pixels for ads • Calls it million dollar homepage • Sells every pixel and becomes a millionaire • If you were an editor would this be news? • Why/Why not

7. True Story • www.milliondollarhomepage.com • The Million Dollar Homepage • A website conceived in 2005 by Alex Tew, a student from Wiltshire, England, to raise money for his university education.

8. Proximity • Where an event occurs is important • Audiences tend to care more for news that may affects them • Local stories usually have priority in the newscast • Distant stories that make it in the line-up • Will likely encompass additional news elements • Link to local news story

9. Timeliness • Increasingly important with advances in technology • Stories occurring • During the newscast • Or in other areas • can be covered and aired live during the broadcast • Internet, satellites, cell phones, wireless technology • All aid in getting the latest news out immediately • Stories that used to take hours to cover are now old news • When the broadcast starts

10. 1st Amendment • There are 5 clauses/parts to the 1st amendment of the U.S. Constitution • Can anyone identify the 5 different clauses/parts? • The 5 W’s of journalism • Used to gather necessary informationto develop news story

11. Impact • How many people are affected • Name a MAJOR news stories that journalists made YOU aware of? • (That without journalism you wouldn’t know about) • Much of what we know comes from Journalists • Images and impact of • Hurricane Katrina • Earthquake in Haiti • Gansu mudslide (China) • Egg Recall

12. What are examples of good & bad broadcast journalism • What makes them good or bad?

13. Prominence • Usually applied to stories involving those with celebrity status • A local involved in a fender bender • Isn’t going to have the same appeal as someone everyone knows • Usually applies to • Athletes, Rock Singers • Entertainers, Politicians, etc

14. A popular music artist • Is imprisoned to the disappointment of fans • Upon release • Gets married • Releases several songs • Stars in a top box office movie • Gives interviews about a change in lifestyle to avoid trouble • Gets arrested on drug charges 6 months after release • If you were an editor would this be news? • Why/Why not

15. Conflict • Disagreement makes for good copy • & even better video • Protests, A rally, Marches, etc • Make good news because viewers don’t know what to expect • Video Clip • Unusual or Human Interest Stories • Stories about average people • Are interesting if they do unusual things

16. Simplicity • Often times complex stories are difficult to broadcast • The short time and attention span of many viewers • Won’t allow time to present details clearly • Broadcast news is often more like a headline service • More complex details stories are usually reserved for print • What is the audience talking about • What’s the buzz amongst the public • Get good audio and video • This will ensure brief messages are clear

17. Gatekeeping • Gatekeepers are the producers, editors, directors • That decide what get’ through the filter • They determine what news stories run and which ones are discarded • PAGE F Test • Page 28 of the text (What is it?)