What Is News

How do you tell what is news?

A. Timeliness

  • The day of or the day before publication
  • Or immediate future
  • Those past, but have an anniversary
  • Why are you telling me this now?

B. Proximity

  • In or close to community
  • Where people live

C. Unusual nature

  • Out-of ordinary
  • Bizarre or rare events
  • People engaged in unusual activities

D. Celebrities

  • People who are well-known - entertainers, athletes
  • Can be national or local

E. Human interest

  • People who have special problems, achievements or experiences
  • Profiles or unusual stories about people that make readers care about them

F. Conflict
G. Impact

  • Reaction stories to news events or news angles that affect readers
  • Local reaction to national news

H. Helpfulness

  • Consumer
  • Health
  • How-to

I. Entertainment

  • Amusement
  • News features in sports and lifestyle sections

J. Inspiration

  • People who overcome difficulties
  • Human interest

K. Special interest

  • Appeal to people special interest, such as science, business, religion, women, college students, etc.

L. Issues or problems in the community

  • Conflict
  • Proximity

M. Trends

  • Patterns or shifts in issues that influence readers' lives, such as increases in crime, social issues or other forces in society.
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