The document outlines six key elements that determine newsworthiness: timeliness, proximity, prominence, oddity, consequence, and conflict. Stories are more newsworthy if they are most recent, close to readers, involve prominent people, are strange or unusual, have important consequences, or involve conflict between individuals. Human interest stories that elicit an emotional response from readers can also be newsworthy.

1. News Elements

2. Timeliness If something is happening NOW, it is more newsworthy than if it happened yesterday or last week or two weeks ago. Oftentimes the most newsworthy element in the story is the most recent happening, the latest thing in a series of happenings which relate to the news event.

3. Proximity How close to your readers is this event taking place? All other things being equal, something that is happening in or near their location is much more meaningful to them than something taking place across town or across the world.

4. Prominence Is a well-known person part of the story? Readers like to read about people they know. If a person is well-known, more readers will be interested than if a person who is mentioned is not known.

5. Oddity If something is out of the ordinary, it may be newsworthy just because of that fact. The strange or unusual is fascinating to many readers.

6. Consequence How will this event impact your readers? How important is it? Something that is more important will be more newsworthy than something that is of little importance, all other things being equal.

7. Conflict Is there a conflict between persons in the story? A rivalry? A misunderstanding? People are naturally drawn to conflict and find it fascinating.

8. Human Interest Anything that appeals to the reader’s emotions…makes him laugh, cry, get angry, feel sympathy, etc….has the potential for human interest.