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What is news?. Part 2. How does news get to be news?. Who decides?. “Gatekeepers”. Too much information out there; can’t possibly put it all in newspaper or broadcast. Each news outlet has a person or people who select what will be the news for that “edition.”
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What is news? Part 2
How does news get to be news? Who decides?
“Gatekeepers” • Too much information out there; can’t possibly put it all in newspaper or broadcast. • Each news outlet has a person or people who select what will be the news for that “edition.” • Those people are gatekeepers. Also known as … • Editors • Producers • Directors
Making Decisions What criteria do you think gatekeepers use in making their decisions?
You = personal gatekeeper How are you a gatekeeper?
Playing Gatekeeper • Pretend you’re the editor of a Scott High School newspaper or podcast. • On a sheet of paper, make 3 columns • Label them: “News,” “Sports, “Student Life” • List 3 ideas for stories in each category
Playing Gatekeeper - 2 • Trade papers • “Grade” each idea: • X = doesn’t interest you • √ = interests you • = interests you a lot • Trade papers again
Top Stories? What criteria did you useto make your decisions?
3 Criteria • Facts • Adequate • Accurate • Timely • Audience • Who will be reading? • What are their values? Interests? • Interest • Have meaning to the audience
6 Factors These factors influence the news that gets to public (different from newsworthiness)
Factor 1: News hole • the amount of space in the newspaper or time in a newscast available for news • what determines news hole? business factors • Web: not too much of a factor
Factor 2: News flow • the number of news stories available to run at any one time • Example: Sports Illustrated
Factor 3: Medium • some stories play better on TV than in newspaper & vice versa • newspapers – many stories, some depth • magazines – depth, some perspective • radio – fastest & sound • TV – fast & pictures • Internet -- hybrid
Factor 4: Deadlines • the latest time a story can be finished in order to be printed in that paper or shown on that newscast • Game-changers: • 24-hour cable • Internet
Factor 5: Editorial Philosophy • what a media outlet chooses to cover
Factor 6: Business • What sells!
Finding News Where does news come from?
Beats • Beat • A regular assignment give to reporters • A place reporters go to regularly to get info • Reporters work a beat to find stories • Gain expertise & contacts—which lead to stories
Sources • Source • Someone who provides information to a journalist • Journalists develop regular sources through their beat assignments • People contact reporters with stories
“Local Angle” • Local Connection – a fact or person that connects a story originating elsewhere to the local audience • George Clooney – “Maysville native” • War in Afghanistan – local soldiers involvement (killed or wounded) • Local groups raising money or collecting supplies for Haitian earthquake victims
Chad Ochocinco: 'Dancing with the Stars' will help in off-seasonBengals wide receiver practices four hours daily with partner Cheryl BurkeBy John Kiesewetter • jkiesewetter@enquirer.com • March 9, 2010 Chad Ochocinco took a few minutes away from “Dancing with the Stars” practice to provide a scouting report on his attempt to master the cha-cha in three weeks.“It’s extremely, extremely hard,” says Ochocinco, 32, one of 11 celebrities who will compete on the hit ABC show that starts March 22.
“Local Angle” – 2 • Local Focus – bringing a larger national or international story into the local community • Swine flue – local update • Local impact of national controversies
Follow Up • “Next day” • Reporting that follows up on a story from the previous day • Futures file • Coming back to a story for a planned update