Choosing Stories…
What is News?
“If it bleeds it leads”
How are these stories different?
Objectives
 You Will Be Able To…
 Describe the elements that make up a good news story
 List the different types of News
Proximity
 “Small Earthquake in Chile Not
Many Dead”
 Must have relevance locally
 What will play better?
 Huge Problem For Them
 Small Problem For Us
Relevance
 Who is your audience?
 Stories should be the ones that have the greatest effect on their
lives.
 What effects your audience
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Upbringing
Environment
Education
Background
Beliefs
Morality
Etc.
Immediacy
 “Yesterday’s Newspaper is used to
wrap fish and yesterday’s broadcast
does not exist at all”
 News is about what’s happening
now
 What happened yesterday is dead
 Need Something Fresh
 Need Some new angle
Interest
 Appeal to the mass interest
 Must have wide appeal
 Provide the Audience with…
 Wants to Know
 Needs to Know
 E.g. - People
 Celebrities, politicians, athletes, etc.
 Live Through Vicariously
Drama
 “Stranger-Than-Fiction”
 Newswriting closely related to
storytelling
 Excitement
 Danger
 Adventure
 Conflict
 But, Be Careful…
 Maintain integrity
 Don’t Dress Up Facts
Entertainment
 Some Journalists see entertainment as “dirty”
 Performance in the Presentation
 Entertainment in the Writing
 “Kicker” or “Tailpiece”
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Light or Humorous Story
‘Leave ‘em Smiling’
 Where do we draw the line between news and
entertainment?
Other Types of News
 Emergencies
 Industry
 Crime
 Health
 Local and National
 Human Interest
Government
 Personalities
 Planning and Development
 Sports
 Conflict and Controversy
 Seasonal News
 Pressure Groups
 Special Local Interest
 Traffic
 Weather
But, The First Question That Must Always
Be Asked is….
Does it affect our
audience?
Is it local?
Activity:
 Watch the Short News Broadcast and answer the
following (this will be collected)… ABC Headline
 Which stories did you find the most RELEVANT and
Why?
 In what way is the relevance of those stories
determined by their geographical PROXIMITY to you?