What is news?

Why is news important?

Journalism is the first rough draft of history.

Philip Graham

When a dog bites a man, that is not news, because it happens so often. But if a man bites a

dog, that is news.John Bogart

News is what somebody, somewhere, wants to suppress.

Lord Northcliffe

Let the people know the facts, and the country will be safe.

Abraham Lincoln

If a person goes to a country and finds their newspapers filled with nothing but good news, there are good men in

jail.Daniel P. Moynihan

The American people don’t believe anything until they see

it on television.Richard Nixon

What makes a story NEWSWORTHY?

• Timing• Significance

(number affected)

• Proximity(closeness – geographic or socio-economic)

• Prominence(important people)

• Human Interest

What are the types of NEWS?• Hard News

Important, serious subjects…War, crime, disasters, finance, etc.

• Soft News (Features)Arts, culture, lifestyle

• What about sports and weather?It depends on the story itself.

What is needed in a news story?

“I keep six honest serving menThey taught me all I knew;

Their names are What and Why and WhenAnd How and Where and Who.”

-Rudyard Kipling

How should information be organized in a news story?

• The Inverted PyramidUnlike a short story or novel where you work up to the climax, in journalism, you provide the most important information first.

For more information… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inverted_pyramid

• Angle (Not Spin)Angle is the unique perspective that makes a story interesting to your audience. Spin is a manipulation of the facts to prove your point.

What makes a news story credible?

• Good Facts from Good Sources!Who are your sources? Why are you asking them for information?

• AttributionHow does your audience know you have selected reliable sources?

• Just the Facts, Ma’am.Your job as a journalist is to present unbiased information and allow your audience to draw their own informed conclusions.

Key Terms• Newsworthy• Timing• Significance• Proximity• Prominence• Human Interest• Hard News• Soft News• Inverted Pyramid• Angle• Spin• Attribution