Our newspaper conforms to several of Galtung and Ruge's news values: We prioritize stories that are negative or involve harm, as bad news tends to attract more attention. We also focus on events that are immediate and familiar to our readers to ensure relevance and comprehension. Additionally, we seek stories that are unambiguous and have a strong visual element to capture readers' interest.

1. How does your newspaper conform to Galtung and Ruge’s News Values?
Value Meaning Example
Newspapers only want to lead on events that
have “just happened”. If the event happened
some time ago, but has only just come to
Has it happened recently? Is it light, the paper will always try to give it a
Immediacy new? “today” angle.
Does it mean something to us A bus crash in Bulgaria isn’t very interesting to
where we live? Can we relate British audiences – unless someone British
Familiarity to it? died.
Is it a big event? Does it The 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami was news in the
Amplitude involve many people? UK because of the number of people killed.
Is it something that happened A glacier melting is unlikely to make the front
Frequency fairly quickly? page – it takes too long!
Newspapers – especially tabloids – often
Is it clear? Are the ignore stories if they think they’re too difficult
Unambiguity results/effects obvious? to explain.
Predictability can be boring, if we know what’s
going to happen. However, Elections, Cup
Finals and so on are predictable but
Is it predictable? Do we expect interesting, and newspapers plan around
Predictability it to happen? these diary events.
Is it a rare or unexpected Audiences like surprises – even unpleasant
Surprise event? ones.
Newspapers are always looking for new angles
Has it already been defined as on ongoing news stories, such as political
Continuity news? Is it a running story? intrigues, sporting countdowns etc.
Events that occur in neighbouring countries,
Has the event happened in a or countries that influence our lives and
country that is important to culture (eg USA, France) interest audiences, as
Elite nations or the audience? Does it concern so stories about David Beckham, Prince
people well-know people? William and Britney Spears.
Stories that affect “people like us” – ordinary
Is it a personal or human people – often have the “aah” or the “wow”
Personalisation interest story? factor.
Bad news always seems to get more press and
Negativity Is it bad news? public attention than good news.
Newspapers have to compete for attention on
“Are we the only newspaper the newsstand – unique stories help them to
Exclusivity that has this story?” do that.
Occasionally, newspapers will lead with a
story based on the strength of the images that
Is there a really strong image? go with it.
Home news stories can often be placed in
broadsheets to counterbalance a heavy
weight of foreign news. Happy human interest
Is it being used to stories sometimes appear in tabloids to
Balance counterbalance other stories? balance out a lot of “doom and gloom”.

2. Task:
Explain how your newspaper conforms to News Values
You don’t need to give an example for all fourteen categories but you
should have an example for at least the following:
Negativity
Immediacy
Familiarity
Unambiguity
Surprise
Personalisation
Visual Impact