What Is News? is a presentation by Professor Linda Austin to JNL-1102, Reporting and Writing I, students at the National Management College in June 2015.

2. Where Americans get news
TV is still No. 1.
Internet
growing
fast.
Print
newspapers
losing
ground.
Radio 4th
and up
slightly.

3. Where young Americans get news

4. Your news
1. Write down your definition of news.
2. Write down a sentence or two about a news
story you remember reading, viewing or
hearing in the last few days. What made it
memorable?

5. WHAT IS
NEWS?
With your audience in mind,
use these questions to
assess the newsworthiness
of a story.

6. Definitions of news
“News is the first rough draft of history,”
– Phil Graham,
Washington Post publisher

7. Definitions of news
“News is anything
that makes a
reader say, ‘Gee
whiz,’”
– William
Randolph Hearst,
American
newspaper tycoon

8. Definitions of news
“News is
anything that will
make people
talk.”
– Charles Dana,
editor of The New
York Sun
MetropolitanMuseumofArt,NewYork

9. Definitions of news
“News is what
somebody
somewhere wants
to suppress. All the
rest is advertising.”
– Lord Northcliffe,
British newspaper
tycoon

10. Definitions of news
“When a dog
bites a man, that
is not news. But
when a man bites
a dog, that is
news.”
– Charles Dana,
New York Sun
editor

11. Definitions of news
“When a dog
bites a man, that
is not news. But
when a man bites
a dog, that is
news.”
– Charles Dana,
New York Sun
editor

12. Definitions of news
“News: stories
about events that
have just
happened and
should be told to
readers right
away”– Writing
and Reporting
News

13. Definitions of news
“News is
information that
is important or
interesting for a
large number of
people.”–
Writing and
Reporting News

14. News depends on the audience
Students at the National Management College

15. Audience determines news
Adult Yangon residents

16. Audience determines news
Younger Yangon residents

17. Different geography, different audiences
Shan
Herald
ByWagnerT.Cassimiro"Aranha"

18. Different geography, different audiences
For a
national,
not
regional,
audience

19. How is the audience different?

20. How is the audience different?

21. 8 questions to ask in search of news
1. Is it unusual?
2. Does it impact many
people?
3. Are prominent people
involved?
4. Is it timely?
5. Is it about a conflict?
6. Is it local?
7. Is it useful?
8. Is it interesting or
entertaining?
Photo by sskennel
From page 18 of textbook

22. 8 questions to ask in search of news
1. Is it unusual?
2. Does it impact many
people?
3. Are prominent people
involved?
4. Is it timely?
5. Is it about a conflict?
6. Is it local?
7. Is it useful?
8. Is it interesting or
entertaining?
Photo by sskennel
From page 18 of textbook

23. 1. Is it unusual?

24. 8 questions to ask in search of news
1. Is it unusual?
2. Does it impact many
people?
3. Are prominent people
involved?
4. Is it timely?
5. Is it about a conflict?
6. Is it local?
7. Is it useful?
8. Is it interesting or
entertaining?
Photo by sskennel
From page 18 of textbook

25. 2. Does it impact many people?

26. 8 questions to ask in search of news
1. Is it unusual?
2. Does it impact many
people?
3. Are prominent people
involved?
4. Is it timely?
5. Is it about a conflict?
6. Is it local?
7. Is it useful?
8. Is it interesting or
entertaining?
Photo by sskennel
From page 18 of textbook

27. 3. Are prominent people involved?
“I don’t know all the
acronyms that NGO
workers know. But
that’s a good thing
when it comes to the
average Joe watching
TV in America.” –
Actor Matt Dillon
From Coconuts Yangon

28. NAMES
make
NEWS
3. Are prominent people involved?

29. 8 questions to ask in search of news
1. Is it unusual?
2. Does it impact many
people?
3. Are prominent people
involved?
4. Is it timely?
5. Is it about a conflict?
6. Is it local?
7. Is it useful?
8. Is it interesting or
entertaining?
Photo by sskennel
From page 18 of textbook

30. 4. Is it timely?
“News is
anything you
know now that
you did
not know 15
minutes
ago – or 15
seconds ago.”
Mario Garcia,
news-design
expert 8 minutes after the bombing!

31. 8 questions to ask in search of news
1. Is it unusual?
2. Does it impact many
people?
3. Are prominent people
involved?
4. Is it timely?
5. Is it about a conflict?
6. Is it local?
7. Is it useful?
8. Is it interesting or
entertaining?
Photo by sskennel
From page 18 of textbook

32. 5. Is it about a conflict?

33. 8 questions to ask in search of news
1. Is it unusual?
2. Does it impact many
people?
3. Are prominent people
involved?
4. Is it timely?
5. Is it about a conflict?
6. Is it local?
7. Is it useful?
8. Is it interesting or
entertaining?
Photo by sskennel
From page 18 of textbook

34. 6. Is it local?
What if
the cruise
ship had
sunk on
the Hlaing
River in
Yangon?

35. HATCH them.
MATCH them.
DISPATCH
them.
6. Is it local?

36. HATCH them.
6. Is it local?

37. MATCH them.
6. Is it local?

38. DISPATCH
them.
6. Is it local?

39. 8 questions to ask in search of news
1. Is it unusual?
2. Does it impact many
people?
3. Are prominent people
involved?
4. Is it timely?
5. Is it about a conflict?
6. Is it local?
7. Is it useful?
8. Is it interesting or
entertaining?
Photo by sskennel
From page 18 of textbook

40. 7. Is it useful?

41. NEWS
you can
USE

42. 8 questions to ask in search of news
1. Is it unusual?
2. Does it impact many
people?
3. Are prominent people
involved?
4. Is it timely?
5. Is it about a conflict?
6. Is it local?
7. Is it useful?
8. Is it interesting or
entertaining?
Photo by sskennel
From page 18 of textbook

43. 8. Is it interesting or entertaining?
• Often,
sports
news.
• Also,
well-
written
stories
• “Human
interest”
• “Soft
news”

44. 8. Is it interesting or entertaining?
• Often,
sports
news.
• Also,
well-
written
stories
• “Human
interest
• “Soft
news”

45. “Hey,
MARTHA” test
8. Is it interesting or entertaining?
ByBenGarney

46. Hard news vs. soft news
Hard or breaking news
Timely stories about events that have just
happened or are about to happen.
Examples:
• Crime
• Accidents
• Disasters
• Government reports
• Parliament passes a law
• One company buys another
• Results of a badminton match Photo by Steven Taschuk

47. If it
BLEEDS,
it
LEADS.
Hard news

48. Hard news vs. soft news
Soft news or features
News that entertains or informs with an
emphasis on human interest and novelty and
less so on immediacy. Often, inspires warm and
fuzzy feelings.
Examples:
• Animals
• Children
• Celebrities
• Humor
• Holidays Photo by Nathan

49. Hard news or soft news?

50. Hard news or soft news?

51. Hard news or soft news?

52. Hard news or soft news?

53. Hard news or soft news?

54. Hard news or soft news?

55. Your turn!
News judgment is the
ability to determine which
stories are most
interesting and important
to readers.
News judgment is a
muscle that you must use
to develop.
PhotobyEneasDeTroya

56. 8 questions to ask in search of news
1. Is it unusual?
2. Does it impact many
people?
3. Are prominent people
involved?
4. Is it timely?
5. Is it about a conflict?
6. Is it local?
7. Is it useful?
8. Is it interesting or
entertaining?
Photo by sskennel
From page 18 of textbook

57. Your turn!
A story that tells parents
about the elimination
of school fees for high
school students relies
most heavily on which
element of news?
a. Impact
b. Timeliness
c. Prominence

58. Your turn!
A story that tells parents
about the elimination
of school fees for high
school students relies
most heavily on which
element of news?
a. Impact
b. Timeliness
c. Prominence

59. Your turn!
Last week, a football player in Thailand suffered a
concussion, and he will be unable to play for the rest of
the season. The Myanmar Times ran a paragraph about
him. Now, a football player in Yangon has suffered the
same injury with the same result, and the paper is
devoting a full page to him and his injury.
What element of news is causing this different
treatment?
a. Useful
b. Local
c. Conflict

60. Your turn!
Last week, a football player in Thailand suffered a
concussion, and he will be unable to play for the rest of
the season. The Myanmar Times ran a paragraph about
him. Now, a football player in Yangon has suffered the
same injury with the same result, and the paper is
devoting a full page to him and his injury.
What element of news is causing this different
treatment?
a. Useful
b. Local
c. Conflict

61. Your turn!
Burma says it has found a rare, white elephant in
the jungles of the western Ayeyarwaddy region.
The story is newsworthy
because it is:
a. Useful
b. Unusual
c. Impact

62. Your turn!
Burma says it has found a rare, white elephant in
the jungles of the western Ayeyarwaddy region.
The story is newsworthy
because it is:
a. Useful
b. Unusual
c. Impact

63. Your turn!
Two celebrities, vocal stars Lynn Lynn and Chit
Thu Wai, get married in Yangon.
The story is newsworthy
because it has
a. Usefulness
b. Conflict
c. Prominence

64. Your turn!
Two celebrities, vocal stars Lynn Lynn and Chit
Thu Wai, get married in Yangon.
The story is newsworthy
because it is:
a. Usefulness
b. Conflict
c. Prominence

65. Your turn!
Myanmar and Bangladesh disagree on where
nearly 1,000 people rescued in May from boats off
the Myanmar coast are from.
The story is newsworthy
because it has:
a. Usefulness
b. Conflict
c. Prominence

66. Your turn!
Myanmar and Bangladesh disagree on where
nearly 1,000 people rescued in May from boats off
the Myanmar coast are from.
The story is newsworthy
because it has:
a. Usefulness
b. Conflict
c. Prominence

67. Your turn!
Myanmar President U Thein Sein promises to set a
minimum wage for workers before the election.
The story is newsworthy
because it is:
a. Useful
b. Unusual
c. Timely

68. Your turn!
Myanmar President Thein Sein promises to set a
minimum wage for workers before the election.
The story is newsworthy
because it is:
a. Useful
b. Conflict
c. Timely

69. Your turn!
Four people died in a landslide following heavy rain
in the ruby-mining town of Mogok.
The story is newsworthy
because it is:
a. Useful
b. Prominent
c. Timely

70. Your turn!
Four people died in a landslide following heavy rain
in the ruby-mining town of Mogok.
The story is newsworthy
because it is:
a. Useful
b. Prominent
c. Timely

71. Your turn!
The Irrawaddy does a feature story on the few
dozen photojournalists in Burma and the dangers
they face.
The story is newsworthy
because it is:
a. Useful
b. Interesting
c. Timely

72. Your turn!
The Irrawaddy does a feature story on the few
dozen photojournalists in Burma and the dangers
they face.
The story is newsworthy
because it is:
a. Useful
b. Interesting
c. Timely

73. How news judgments get made
Every day in newsrooms worldwide, editors make
news judgments about what runs on the front page.
Here’s how those decisions get made at:

74. Hold your own news meeting
• Pick your top 3 stories
based on these elements:
1. Unusual
2. Impact
3. Prominence
4. Timeliness
5. Conflict
6. Local
7. Useful
8. Interesting or
entertaining
1. Thousands of migrants
missing in the Andaman Sea.
2. Strong monsoon forecast for
Yangon in June
3. Villages along the Chindwin
River are disappearing due to
illegal gold mining
4. Disabled Myanmar soldiers
will be entitled to four kinds of
pensions
5. Parliament approves a $138
million loan for a bridge to be
built between Yangon and
Dala
6. Parliament delays 5% tax on
top-up cards for cell phones
in Myanmar

75. Homework for June 15
• Read Chapter 3 in the text: Basic Story Structure
• Read the news: BBC Burmese Facebook and Irrawaddy
Facebook
• Study for quiz on June 15 on Chapter 4, lectures from this
week and the news from this week.
• Study for vocabulary quiz on June 22 using text and/or
Quizlet. On Quizlet, search “Reporting and Writing
News: A Basic Handbook”
• OPTIONAL: Be a Reporter Game on Newsu.org:
http://www.newsu.org/courses/be-reporter-game Free, but
requires registration.