What makes news interesting? Besides its short form, it should be picturesque, concise, and easy to comprehend. The goal is to make the reader say, “Gee Whiz!” Too many sources have diluted the capacity for surprise. Hopefully, these tips will help you savor the news that you read. Read on to learn more about how news influences people’s values. And remember: News doesn’t have to be boring to be interesting.
Factors that influence news values
Media outlets are constantly battling to retain audience share. News organizations should be more willing to incorporate audience input and adopt news values to survive in the competition. The authors of a 2001 study have updated the findings to include the effects of viral news. Other scholars are also studying viral news and how it affects journalists’ work. In this piece, we’ll discuss some of the factors that affect news values and how to influence them.
The first theory of news value was introduced by Johan Galtung and Mari Holmboe Ruge, who identified and described four factors that influence the newsworthiness of a story. The researchers compared different news stories from the same media outlet, and found that some stories were more or less influential than others. Newsworthyness, which was defined by Galtung and Ruge, was a critical factor in the selection of news stories.
Content analysis of news values
Although the scholarly literature has produced numerous articles on the topic of news values, empirical studies on this issue are few and far between. In the 1960s, Galtung and Ruge (both at Columbia University) argued that news values favor powerful elites and, consequently, the dominant groups in society. Since then, many scholars have criticized these ideas and developed their own set of criteria for evaluating news stories. Moreover, in their work, Brighton and Foy emphasize that the values of news vary depending on the type of media in which news is distributed.
For example, sudden events receive the most media coverage, because they fit within the timeframe of a news producer. Stories that unfold slowly or that are a continuation of a long-term trend are unlikely to receive the attention they deserve. Similarly, stories about death, disaster, or damage score higher than stories about positive events. Likewise, stories about extreme weather conditions score higher on news values. However, these findings can be misleading, and it is important to note that these theories do not account for practical everyday factors that influence the news values of stories.
Impact of technology on news values
As technology continues to change the way we consume news, publishers and the news industry may need more help to stay afloat. A recent study revealed that nearly one-third of publishers expect help from government and nonprofit organizations, tech platforms, and foundations. However, only 29% say they don’t expect any help at all. This could be a sign of a larger problem. Regardless of the cause, publishers and the news industry need to think about the future and plan for it.
As technology continues to improve our lives, it will require more journalistic skill and time outside the office. As new devices and more powerful technology emerge, journalists will be spending more time outside the newsroom and becoming more embedded in their communities. But as subscription-based platforms like Substack demonstrate their value, the prices of news talent will increase. This could lead to tensions in newsrooms. Online video, for example, will become a major focus of misinformation. Moreover, hyperpartisan opinion-led channels are emerging in the news. As a result, video podcasts are now widely distributed via platforms like YouTube and Spotify.