1. WHAT MAKES A GOOD STORY?
Of all the millions of events going on in the world, why do they choose only a few for publication or broadcast? News items have to be
presented in such a way as to be acceptable to the owners.
–Generally conservative
–Support big businesses, law and the police
–Only slight criticism of these institutions are allowed
Journalists share an idea of what components make a ‘good story’ which must include the following elements.
ELEMENT DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
Limited period of
time
Importance
Understandable
Unexpected
Composition
Personalities
Political and legal
pressures

2. Should be short and self contained. A good story For example a terrible famine one year in Africa
where there is a clear beginning and end. is news, but the long term malnutrition of
Africans from poverty is not a good story
A good story must have significance to the person For example few British people would be
watching or reading. This means that the item of interested in seeing a news item about a car
news must be national or local. crash in Paris, but would be interested if it was
an important person locally
Complex events do not make good stories Therefore the simpler an event the better
There should always be an element of surprise If it is not why is it noteworthy?
For example sport, human interest stories,
There has to be a mix of news. politics, humour and so on.
Stories are far more interesting if they are about As such the media always try to include a human
people not about issues or events angle in their stories
There are outside pressures on journalists from This means that you are not allowed to print or
things such as laws of libel broadcast untrue statements about people
Should be short and self contained. A good story For example a terrible famine one year in Africa
where there is a clear beginning and end. is news, but the long term malnutrition of
Africans from poverty is not a good story
A good story must have significance to the person For example few British people would be
watching or reading. This means that the item of interested in seeing a news item about a car
news must be national or local. crash in Paris, but would be interested if it was
an important person locally
Complex events do not make good stories Therefore the simpler an event the better
There should always be an element of surprise If it is not why is it noteworthy?
For example sport, human interest stories,
There has to be a mix of news. politics, humour and so on.
Stories are far more interesting if they are about As such the media always try to include a human
people not about issues or events angle in their stories
There are outside pressures on journalists from This means that you are not allowed to print or
things such as laws of libel broadcast untrue statements about people