What is News What is News and Journalism?and Journalism?

Week 1

What is News?What is News?♦ 63% of American prefer news about serious issues and

major events.♦ 24% say they prefer crime and celebrity news.♦ 48% think that the media are out of touch with average

Americans.♦ 25% of stories in a typical newspaper are about

government or politics.♦ 42% of Americans under 30 have little or no interest in

politics.♦ 77% of journalists say they often avoid running a story

that readers think are important but dull.♦ 52% say they sometimes ignore stories because readers

might find them to complex.♦ 84% of Americans find the news depressing.♦ 77% find the news negative.♦ 58% find the news sensational.

What Other People ThinkWhat Other People Think

♦ News is the first rough draft of history. – Phillip Grahm.

♦ News is anything that makes a reader say “Gee whiz.” – William Randolph Hearst

♦ News is anything you can find out today that you didn’t know before. – Turner Catledge

♦ When a dog bites a man, that is not news. But when a man bites a dog, that IS news. – Charles Dana.

What Do You Think?What Do You Think?

♦ Small Group Discussion

♦ Write Definition

News FormulaNews Formula

1 ordinary man + 1 ordinary life = 01 ordinary man + 1 extraordinary adventure = NEWS1 ordinary husband + 1 ordinary wife = 01 husband + 3 wives = NEWS1 bank cashier + 1 wife + 7 children = 01 bank cashier - $100,000 = NEWS1 man + 1 auto + 1 gun + 1 six-pack = NEWS1 man + 1 wife + 1 fight + 1 lawsuit = NEWS1 ordinary man + 1 ordinary life of 79 years = 01 ordinary man + 1 ordinary life of 100 years = NEWS

Exercise 1 - Would you run the story?

A. City council allocates money for sewer repair

Metropolitan DailyCommunity Weekly TwiceWeekly Campus Paper

B. Broken water main damages university restaurant and bookstore

Metropolitan Daily Community WeeklyTwice-Weekly Campus Paper

C. U.S. president schedules visit to neighboring county

Metropolitan DailyCommunity WeeklyTwice-Weekly Campus Paper

D. Two arrested dumping green paint in campus fountain

Metropolitan DailyCommunity WeeklyTwice-Weekly Campus Paper

E. Popular night club loses liquor license after sting

Metropolitan DailyCommunity WeeklyTwice-Weekly Campus Paper

F. Citywide emergency drill coming in three months

Metropolitan DailyCommunity WeeklyTwice-Weekly Campus Paper

Would you run the story? Cont.

G. Fourteen hospitalized after contracting E. coli at county fair

Metropolitan DailyCommunity WeeklyTwice-Weekly Campus

Paper

H. University announces it will build 70 new housing units on parking lot site

Metropolitan DailyCommunity WeeklyTwice-Weekly Campus

Paper

I. Tattoo artist elected as student body vice president

Metropolitan DailyCommunity WeeklyTwice-Weekly Campus

Paper

J. College appoints members of new diversity committee

Metropolitan DailyCommunity WeeklyTwice-Weekly Campus

Paper

Interesting NewsInteresting News

♦ Impact – Does it have consequences?

♦ Immediacy – When did it happen?

♦ Proximity – Where is it happening?

♦ Prominence – How important is it?

♦ Novelty – Is it new?

♦ Conflict – Is there a clash for power?

♦ Emotions – Does it create feelings?

Exercise 2 - Exercise 2 - Will readers care about this Will readers care about this

story?story? That's what editors ask themselves all the

time. Their answer depends on the degree to which the stories offer the seven news elements described in your textbook. Rank each of the following stories, element by element, from 1 to 10 (with 10 being most prominent) based on the degree to which each news element figures prominently in each story. Assume your paper's home territory is whatever geographic location is mentioned.

Exercise 2 Exercise 2 Cont.Cont.

A. NASA officials said Monday conditions seemed "optimum" for Wednesday's scheduled launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery.

impact __

immediacy __

proximity __

prominence __

novelty __

conflict __

emotions __

Exercise 2 Exercise 2 Cont.Cont.

B. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said yesterday it may take as long as 12 years for U.S. forces to defeat Iraq's insurgency.

C. A Kentucky teenager who lost an arm in a shark attack last month is recovering at home after 23 days in a Florida hospital.

D. Shares of Apple Computers surged Thursday after the company released better-than-expected earnings.

Exercise 2 Exercise 2 Cont.Cont.

E. All lanes of Interstate 69 outside Charlotte were reopened at 11 a.m. today following a fiery big rig collision that killed two people and shut down most of the freeway for three hours.

F. Hurricane Emily swept along the southern coast of Jamaica on Saturday, bringing 155 mph winds and the potential for heavy flooding.

G. President Bush said Saturday that Americans should give his nominee to the Supreme Court a "fair and timely" hearing.

Exercise 2 Exercise 2 Cont.Cont.

H. Farmers across the Northeast are asking for help as drought, heat and low prices threaten their crops and livestock this summer.

I. Texas Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers was charged yesterday with misdemeanor assault for an attack on two television cameramen before a game last month.

J. The sixth book in the Harry Potter series sold nearly 9 million copies in its first 24 hours on sale in the United States and Britain, becoming the fastest-selling book in history, publishers said.

Exercise 3 – Editor’s JudgmentExercise 3 – Editor’s Judgment

♦ Consider the seven elements of news when deciding which of each of the following pairs would make a better news story. There are no right or wrong answers, but in giving voice to the reasons behind your choices, you'll be articulating news values shared by journalists across the world. Write at least three sentences defending your answer.

Exercise 3 – Editor’s Judgment Exercise 3 – Editor’s Judgment cont.cont.

1. A 15-year-old has been found safe and healthy after being lost for three days in the Sierras.B. A 15-year-old fended off bear attacks and survived three nights alone in Sierras.

2. A. A beloved teacher left behind an inspiring legacy after retirement.B. A beloved teacher left behind an inspiring legacy and moved on to the city council presidency.

3. A. The mayor announced a plan for free citywide wireless computing access.B. The mayor's plan for free citywide wireless access is getting a cold reception from the city council.

Exercise 3 – Editor’s Judgment Exercise 3 – Editor’s Judgment cont.cont.

4. A. A teen driver is in critical condition after a fiery crash on her way home from work last night.B. A teen driver is in critical condition after a fiery crash on her way home from prom last night.

5. A. The local university has hired a new football coach.B. The local university has hired a new football coach, the first Latin to hold that position.

6. A. The latest draft of the city budget eliminates funding for a needle-exchange program.B. The latest draft of the city budget reduces funding for employee pension programs.

Five Points About ReadersFive Points About Readers

♦ They are in a hurry.

♦ They have short attention spans.

♦ They want stories that personally connect.

♦ They want stories told in compelling ways.

♦ There are more than just one type of reader.

Who’s Who?Who’s Who?

PublisherUltimate Boss

Production ManagerOversees the staff and equipment that get the

newspaper printed on time.

Circulation ManagerSupervises the distribution of the paper for subscribers and

street sales.

Advertising ManagerCoordinates the sales and

production of classified and display ads.

The EditorRuns the newsroom. Has the final say in story selection and

news philosophy.

Managing EditorOversees the day-to-day operation of the

newsroom; resolves staffing issues.

Sports EditorAssigns and edits all the stories running in

the paper’s sports section

Features EditorAssigns and edits all the stories running in the paper’s feature

section

Sports Reporter Features Reporter

Copy Desk ChiefOversees the editing of all the stories in

the paper.

Editors

City EditorAssigns and edits most

of the paper’s local “hard news” stories.

News Reporters

•Beat Reporters – Cover a specific topic.

•General Assignment Reporters – Cover a wide range of stories.

What It’s CalledWhat It’s CalledThe Parts of a Story♦ Byline♦ Dateline♦ Lead♦ Quote♦ Attribution♦ Headline♦ Photo♦ Photo Credit♦ Liftout Quote♦ Tagline

The Parts of a Page♦ Flag♦ Edition♦ Infographic♦ Deck♦ Text♦ Jump Line♦ Cutline♦ Teaser♦ Refer♦ Wire Story♦ Mug Shot♦ Centerpiece♦ Index♦ Logo

HomeworkHomework

♦ Bring in newspaper and identify all of the elements for a story and for a page.

Got What it Takes?Got What it Takes?

♦ Do you have the talent and temperament to be a reporter?

Homework ChecklistHomework Checklist

1. Exercise 1 - Would you run the story?

2. Exercise 2 - Will readers care about this story?

3. Exercise 3 – Editor’s Judgment

4. Bring in story and label parts

5. Bring in page and label parts

6. Reporter Survey

7. Test Yourself Chapter One

What is Happening to What is Happening to Newspapers?Newspapers?

♦ http://www.shirky.com/weblog/2009/03/newspapers-and-thinking-the-unthinkable/

♦ http://thegraphiconline.com/archives/2009/03/02/whats-happening-to-newspapers/

♦ http://thegraphiconline.com/archives/2009/03/09/newspapers-how-did-it-happen/

♦ http://www.cjr.org/feature/build_the_wall_1.php?page=all

♦ http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7830218

♦ http://www.newspaperdeathwatch.com/

♦ http://www.becker-posner-blog.com/archives/2009/06/the_social_cost.html

What is Happening to What is Happening to Newspapers?Newspapers? Cont.Cont.

♦ Read the information on one of the websites.

♦ Pair up with someone that also read that website.

♦ Share what you have each learned.

♦ Present the important information to the class.