This document discusses what makes news and the key qualities of news reporting. It notes that news is something that may not initially interest people but becomes important after they learn about it. The job of journalists is to take important information and make it engaging. Some key qualities of news are accuracy, balance, objectivity, conciseness/clarity, and timeliness. News should emphasize elements like timeliness, proximity, importance, prominence, conflict/drama, variety, and human interest. Newspapers aim to publish news, comment on it, entertain readers, help readers, and publish advertising. The document also provides examples of ordinary situations that do not constitute news versus those that do through added elements.

1. Understanding News

2. “This business of giving people
what they want is a dope pusher’s
argument. New is something
people don’t know they’re
interested in until they hear about
it. The job of a journalist is to take
what’s important and make it
interesting .”
-Reuven Frank,
former NBC News president

3. Newspaper Coverage
What makes something “News”?
Audience Interest
Facts

4. Five News Qualities
-Accuracy: all facts checked
-Balance: emphasis & completeness; cover
both sides & select facts equally
-Objectivity/Fairness : be fair; avoid
conflicts of interest
-Conciseness/Clarity : average reader at
8th grade level
-Timeliness: doesn’t mean current, means
appropriate

5. Interest Elements
Timeliness: emphasize newest angle
Proximity: nearness, impact on readers
Importance/Consequence: effect on
readers
Prominence/Names: familiar to readers
Conflict/Drama: opposing forces, suspense
Variety: unusual, strange, original events
Humor: don’t force it, must be inherit in story
Human Interest: sadness, happiness,
animals, babies etc.

7. Functions of a Newspaper
-Publish the news
-Comment on the news
-Entertain readers
-Help readers
-Publish advertising

8. News By The Numbers
-from Inside Reporting, Tim Harrower
1 ordinary man + 1 ordinary life = 0
1 ordinary man + 1 extraordinary adventure = News
1 ordinary husband + 1 ordinary wife = 0
1 ordinary husband + 3 wives = News
1 bank teller + 1 wife + 7 children = 0
1 bank teller - $250,000 = News
1 ordinary man + 1 ordinary life of 70 years =0
1 ordinary man + 1 ordinary life of 100 years = News
1 ordinary student + 1 ordinary schedule = 0
1 ordinary student + ? = News