What Makes a Story Newsworthy?
Information based on a voice recording by Dennis Jerz on Newsworthiness:
I’m not an aural learner so I’m doing the best I can with this one. I picked out the “big points” out of the voice recording only to discover that you outlined them for us the end. But to help my classmates that may not have caught it, here they are again.
What makes a story newsworthy:
· Extraordinary events- Something that does not happen on the regular basis like an out-of-control 18-wheeler careens down Route 30 into Joe’s Truck Stop. Well it’s definitely stopped now.
· Notable people- If the story contains a notable person like President Obama, it is more newsworthy. Note: Just because you see yourself as notable, you most likely aren’t newsworthy. Nice try.
· Significant impact- If a great number of people are affected, it’s more newsworthy. A door-to-door salesman who duped 100,000 elderly people by selling them faulty dentures at a large “discount” would make the news.
· Scary and violent stuff- The scarier and more violent, the more interesting it becomes. It’s gruesome but true. I won’t go into further detail for this one. Use your imagination.
· Proximity- If the event occurs in the area. If the denture salesman sold the dentures in the Greensburg area it would be more newsworthy.
· It has to be news- Seton Hill student writes blog entry isn’t news. See the second bullet.
· Current and recent- If the story’s old, it’s no longer news.
Did I miss any? Would you like to come up with an example for one of my bullets?
Here’s one!
Notable People - If the President of a local university would speak about the impact of the economy on the tuition prices, then the news would be more newsworthy, than simply hearing about a university in California State that we are unfamiliar with.
Good examples!