News values galtung and ruge

A classic topic in journalism studies!

The news values framework was developed by Norwegian sociologists Johan Galtung and Mari Holmberg Ruge in 1965. Their work, "The Structure of Foreign News: The Presentation of the Congo, Cuba and Cyprus Crises in Four Norwegian Newspapers," analyzed the factors that influence the selection and presentation of international news in the media.

Galtung and Ruge identified 12 news values that journalists use to determine what news is newsworthy and how to prioritize stories. These values are:

1. Human interest: Stories that focus on individuals or groups and their experiences, emotions, and struggles.
2. Conflict: News that involves conflict, violence, or competition between individuals, groups, or nations.
3. Unfamiliarity: Stories that are unusual, unexpected, or unfamiliar to the audience.
4. Consequences: News that has significant consequences or implications for the audience.
5. Proximity: Stories that are geographically or culturally close to the audience.
6. Magnitude: News that involves large numbers, quantities, or scales.
7. Frequency: Stories that are repetitive or ongoing.
8. Unexpectedness: News that is unexpected, surprising, or unusual.
9. Negativity: Stories that have a negative tone or outcome.
10. Eliteness: News that involves prominent individuals, organizations, or institutions.
11. Reference to elite nations: Stories that involve powerful or influential nations.
12. Reference to elite people: News that involves prominent individuals, such as politicians, celebrities, or business leaders.

Galtung and Ruge's framework suggests that journalists tend to prioritize news that is:

• Conflict-oriented (e.g., wars, protests, scandals)
• Human-interest-oriented (e.g., stories about individuals or groups)
• Unfamiliar or unusual (e.g., exotic locations, unusual events)
• Consequential (e.g., news that has significant implications)

In contrast, news that is:

• Routine or mundane (e.g., everyday events, routine announcements)
• Positive or uplifting (e.g., stories about success, achievements)
• Unimportant or trivial (e.g., minor accidents, local events)

is less likely to be selected or prioritized.

The news values framework has been widely applied in journalism studies and has influenced the way journalists think about what makes news newsworthy. However, it has also been criticized for being too simplistic and for neglecting other factors that influence news selection and presentation, such as cultural and social context, power dynamics, and the interests of news organizations.