Newsworthiness

 1.  Identify, define, and give an example of the 6 criteria of newsworthiness.

Criteria 1: Unusualness
Definition: News is the different, the unusual, the out-of-the ordinary. Unusual is more often found in bad news than good news.
Example: If an airplane departs on time, it isn't news.  If it crashes, it is.

Criteria 2: Significance
Definition: Important events, ones that affect many people
Example: Taxes, elections, wars, scientific discoveries, and the economy

Criteria 3: Timeliness
Definition: Old news isn't news. People want to hear about current things that are happening.
Example: The flood while its happening, not next month when everything's dried out.

Criteria 4: Proximity
Definition: Nearby events that are happening
Example: A problem in the local school, the new state tax law, the proposed regional highway

Criteria 5: Prominence
Definition: When well-known people, buildings or places are involved
Example: A movie star is arrested for shoplifting

Criteria 6: Human Interest
Definition: Stories about ordinary people or animals, humorous or dramatic, heartwarming or heart-wrenching stores. Often good news
Example: A minister who runs a drop-in center for troubled teenagers, a sand castle competition

2. On page 23 it discusses the differences between print journalism and broadcast journlism.  Please describe 3 ways they are different and explain.
Newspapers provide full coverage but readers act as their own editors and can pick and choose what they want to read. Radio news is very short but it is the most timely of them all because within minutes, you can find out about something from the radio.  Television news is the most dramatic because they have the power of a camera so viewers can actually see the news stories.

3.  List all the criteria the story we watched at the beginning of class fits under and why.
Unusualness: its not everyday a truck carrying pigs crashes on a highway and all the pigs are let out. Timeliness: the story was covered very soon after it happened. Proximity: the story happened in a local town.
4.  List all the criteria the 2nd story we watched fits under and why.
Timeliness: The family taking in the dogs didn't happen a couple years ago, it happened recently. Human interest: it was a heart warming story about two dogs
5.  List all the criteria the 3rd story we watched fits under and why.
Timeliness: The awards just happened last night. Prominence: Many celebrity's were involved. Human Interest: It was interesting to see who won awards and who didn't and also entertaining to see the outfits