2. “If it bleeds, it leads.”
What do you think is meant by this quote, in relation
to News Media?
3. Why is the
news always
bad?
So many people have asked why we only ever hear bad
news, that some television programs are promoting
‘good’ news segments. Most of these program segments
are not considered ‘real news’. It seems most people
expect the news to be negative.The reasons for this are
complex.
Media experts have some ideas on it, including:
- Negative is more visible than positive.
- Negative is undeniable
- Negative is unexpected
4. Negative is
more visible
than positive
Negative news appears more often than good
news because is it easier to see. It can take
seconds to kill a human being, but that same
human being may have had years of nurturing
and care that were not regarded as newsworthy.
A house may take several months it build and
yet it can be razed to the ground in minutes. In
an accidental fire. A negative event can easily
happen between two issues of a newspaper, so it
can be easily slotted into the front page.
5. Negative is
undeniable
Negative news cannot be argued with. It is
negative to everybody. For example, the
building of a dam may be regarded by some
conservationists as a serious problem, while
developers may see is a great benefit. However,
the bursting of a dam wall and the subsequent
flooding of a town would be understood by all as
a disaster.
6. Negative is
unexpected
The negative is more unexpected than the
positive. Negative events are usually rarer and
less predicable that the more stable positive
news.
7. Factors that determine 'news value'
Journalists and media professionals use news values to determine whether a story
is newsworthy.What may be newsworthy for one media platform may not be
newsworthy for another; the audience would be considered before reporting an
event or story.
Readers of ‘the Australian‘ are unlikely to be interested in the article on the death of a
realityTV celebrity.Whilst the event may be highly newsworthy in a tabloid newspaper,
it is likely to have low newsworthiness for ‘the Australian’.
8. Factors that
determine
'news value'
Extraordinariness and news value
Extraordinariness is how unpredictable, unusual, or rare
an event is. An event with an element of surprise is more
likely to gain coverage than a routine event.
10. Factors that
determine
'news value'
Negativity and news value
News that is dramatic or causes agitation or excitement is
generally considered more newsworthy than positive
events.This is because it is more likely to grab the
attention of larger audiences.
11. Factors that
determine
'news value'
Unambiguous news and news value
The simpler and easier to grasp an event is, the more likely it is
to be included in the news agenda over complex news stories.
Personalisation and news value
Personalisation is the breakdown of an event as occurring due
to the actions of individuals.This is so the audiences may be
able to identify with the event, which increases its
newsworthiness.
12. Selection Processes
Material is selected using the above. Four main institutional processes for news selection
Traditional NewsValues
Can decide what is news and what is not news.This tradition
carries from newspaper values and is part of institutional
culture of media organisations. Pressure from ‘higher ups’ can
influence which stories are presented and led.
Commercial television may choose differently from a public
service broadcaster.
Cultural Selection
Is probably the most powerful filter. Some things can be
said publicly and other things cannot.This is culturally
decided.The ‘ordinary’ citizen is the target of news and
current affairs, and their presumed viewpoint is the one
used to select the stories. Other, more unusual
viewpoints are rarely selected.
Visual Selection
Is necessary because television is a visual medium. A
story with no pictures/footage may be passed over for a
lesser story with strong images/footage.
Routines of News Gathering
Means some news is selected and other news is ignored. A story
breaking at 5:00pm has a greater chance of appearing that one
breaking at 9:00pm. A story with easy helicopter or vehicle
access, a story close by or an emailed story may be favoured
over others. Reporters also have regular ‘beats’ that they visit
to gather news; police stations, press conferences, courts etc.
13. Agendas &
News
Selection
News companies often depend on
advertisers for revenue, so the news does not
generally criticise the capitalist system -
choosing to remain in its favour.
A large portion of news content is devoted to
business and economics, where corporate
experts and business professionals are
positively represented. Newspapers include
sections that favourably portray business
interests and economic growth but rarely
address issues regarding poverty or
inequality, thus validating capitalist society.
