Lecture (5)

News values (2)

Lecturer: Dr. Hany M. Ali
How strong a story?
A story which is new, unusual, interesting, significant and
about people is going to be a very good story indeed. One
way of deciding the strength of a story is to check how
many of those five criteria it meets.
There are other factors, though, which make stories
strong or weak:
Closeness (Proximity(
Refers to the physical or emotional closeness of a news
story to a media outlet’s audience and helps
readers/viewers relate to a story on a more personal level.
So, Proximity is the closeness to the intended audience .
A story about a small country in Africa may not be in Al
Ahram. If it does it probably will not be front page news.
The same event happening in two different places can
have two quite different news values.
The appeal of local news is that your readers or listeners
might know the people or place involved.
A plane crash in Chad will make headlines in N'Djamena,
but it’s unlikely to be front-page news in Egypt unless the
plane was carrying Egyptian passengers.
(Concentrate on news that is of local interest; the closer to
home the better)

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Remember, though, that the word "local" means different
things to different people .
If you sell your newspaper in many different towns, you
must realize that a small story which interests readers in
one place, because it is local, may not be of any interest
to readers elsewhere.

Personal impact
The average reader may be a parent, a person wanting a
good education for the children, dreaming of buying a car,
looking forward to going home on leave, anticipating the
next big community feast or festival. You will need to have
a very clear understanding of what your own readers are
like.
So stories about bride-price or dowries, children, land
disputes, new schools, cheaper or dearer fares, or
whatever else is important and may affect your average
reader, will have personal impact.
People can identify with stories about other people like
themselves. So those stories with which many people can
identify are stronger than those which only apply to a few.

Prominence
Applies to the people & things a news story is about .
If the people are well-known, then the news story is
deemed newsworthy because of prominence.
So, is a well-known person or thing involved?
Ordinary activities or accidents can become news if they
involve a prominent person like a prime minister or a film
star .

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That plane crash in Chad would make headlines around
the world if one of the passengers were a famous rock
musician.
(More prominent individuals are given more attention)

Currency
Comes into play when a particular story or theme is
already being covered by the media and further
developments or side stories are likely to be appreciated.
The coverage of related events to a major news stories.
These events may not seem to be important but are still
covered because of their relationship to major news
stories
Are people here talking about this? A government
meeting about bus safety might not draw much attention,
unless it happens to be scheduled soon after a terrible bus
accident. An incident at a football match may be in the
news for several days because it’s the main topic of
conversation in town.
(Take into account what is on people's minds)

Conflict
Refers to conflict or dispute between two or more parties .
This may include international conflict such as war,
political conflict during an election, conflict of opinion,
conflict between two sporting teams, or reality TV
competitors.
Are people in disagreement about this? It’s human nature
to be interested in stories that involve conflict, tension, or
public debate .

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People like to take sides, and see whose position will
prevail.
Conflict doesn’t always entail pitting one person’s views
against another .
Stories about doctors battling disease or citizens opposing
an unjust law also involve conflict.
Conflict is a great news value because it often encourages
audience to take one side or the other. Therefore, readers,
listeners, and viewers become emotionally invested in the
story.
This category includes wars, strikes, revolutions, tribal and
clan fights, elections and the power battles of politics.
(Arguments, debates, charges, countercharges, and fights
increase the value of news)

Human interest
Heart-wrenching stories (happy or sad) about people and
their challenges or achievements.
There are often unusual and interesting aspects of other
people's lives which are not significant to society as a
whole. Stories about these are called human interest
stories.
Examples might be a child going abroad for surgery; a
pilot recovering from injuries received in an air crash and
determined to fly again; or a man with a collection of a
million picture postcards.
(Take into account human interests that touch our emotions)