Elements of news values
The concept of news values refers to the criteria that journalists and editors use to determine what is newsworthy and what is not. The elements of news values can vary depending on the context and the medium, but here are some common elements:
- Human interest: Stories that focus on individuals or groups and their personal experiences, struggles, or achievements tend to be more newsworthy.
- Impact: Stories that have a significant impact on a large number of people, such as natural disasters, economic crises, or major policy changes, are more likely to be considered newsworthy.
- Uniqueness: Stories that are unusual, unexpected, or unprecedented tend to be more newsworthy than routine or common events.
- Proximity: Stories that occur close to home, either geographically or in terms of relevance to the audience, are more likely to be considered newsworthy.
- Prominence: Stories that involve well-known individuals, organizations, or institutions tend to be more newsworthy than those that do not.
- Conflict: Stories that involve conflict, controversy, or drama tend to be more newsworthy than those that do not.
- Timeliness: Stories that are timely and relevant to current events tend to be more newsworthy than those that are not.
- Novelty: Stories that are new, innovative, or groundbreaking tend to be more newsworthy than those that are not.
- Relevance: Stories that are relevant to the audience's interests, concerns, or values tend to be more newsworthy than those that are not.
- Sensationalism: Stories that are sensational, shocking, or attention-grabbing tend to be more newsworthy than those that are not.
- Authority: Stories that are based on credible sources, such as experts or official reports, tend to be more newsworthy than those that are not.
- Exclusivity: Stories that are exclusive or have a unique perspective tend to be more newsworthy than those that do not.
- Emotional appeal: Stories that evoke strong emotions, such as fear, anger, or sympathy, tend to be more newsworthy than those that do not.
- Causality: Stories that explain the causes and consequences of an event tend to be more newsworthy than those that do not.
- Context: Stories that provide context and background information tend to be more newsworthy than those that do not.
It's worth noting that these elements are not mutually exclusive, and a story may be considered newsworthy for multiple reasons. Additionally, the importance of each element may vary depending on the context and the medium.