1. Elements of news judgment What editors take into account

2. What is news?

3. What is news? • Curtis D. MacDougall • 1938 classic “Interpretative Reporting” • “News is an account of an event which a newspaper prints in the belief that by so doing it will profit.”

4. Deciding what’s news

5. Deciding what’s news • Timeliness

6. Deciding what’s news • Timeliness • Impact

7. Deciding what’s news • Timeliness • Impact • Singularity (uniqueness)

8. Deciding what’s news • Timeliness • Impact • Singularity (uniqueness) • Proximity

9. Deciding what’s news • Timeliness • Impact • Singularity (uniqueness) • Proximity • Prominence

10. Deciding what’s news • Timeliness • Impact • Singularity (uniqueness) • Proximity • Prominence • Conflict

11. Timeliness • Something that just happened is newsier than something that happened a while ago

12. Timeliness • Something that just happened is newsier than something that happened a while ago • Key on the latest development, not the original incident

13. Impact • Real, not theoretical

14. Impact • Real, not theoretical • “World could end tomorrow”

15. Impact • Real, not theoretical • “World could end tomorrow” • Death is the ultimate impact

16. Impact • Real, not theoretical • “World could end tomorrow” • Death is the ultimate impact • Numbers also matter (how many)

17. Singularity

18. Singularity • “Man bites dog”

19. Singularity • “Man bites dog” • Coincidence

20. Proximity • Local angle

21. Proximity • Local angle • How to define?

22. Proximity • Local angle • How to define? • In some cases, local local; in other cases the whole state, region or country

23. Proximity • Local angle • How to define? • In some cases, local local; in other cases the whole state, region or country • Just because something happened nearby doesn’t mean it’s newsworthy

24. Prominence

25. Prominence • Celebrity

26. Prominence • Celebrity • A famous person

27. Prominence • Celebrity • A famous person • This does NOT refer to groups

28. Prominence • Celebrity • A famous person • This does NOT refer to groups • A story about a teacher is not necessarily newsworthy just because teachers occupy a prominent place in society

29. Conflict

30. Conflict • Ranges from policy disputes

31. Conflict • Ranges from policy disputes • To sports rivalries

32. Conflict • Ranges from policy disputes • To sports rivalries • To shooting wars

33. Always a balancing act

34. Always a balancing act • Stories that have more elements of news are likely to be stronger than those with fewer

35. Always a balancing act • Stories that have more elements of news are likely to be stronger than those with fewer • But there are gradations within each category

36. Always a balancing act • Stories that have more elements of news are likely to be stronger than those with fewer • But there are gradations within each category • Bigger & smaller celebrities; bigger & smaller impacts; bigger & smaller conflicts

37. Who are our readers?

38. Who are our readers? • Local Oshkosh paper

39. Who are our readers? • Local Oshkosh paper • Traditional values

40. Who are our readers? • Local Oshkosh paper • Traditional values • Homogeneous

41. Who are our readers? • Local Oshkosh paper • Traditional values • Homogeneous • Sports/outdoors