Transcript Chapter 5

Chapter 5
News Selection
• “The news is what we say it is.” – Agree or
disagree?
• News must be processed and distilled
News judgment
• [“Blind Men and the Elephant”]
• Distinguish between stories that are serious
and significant, essential, affect lives
directly … from those that are nice to know
buy have little impact …Stories that exist by
themselves and stories that are
“manufactured.” Examples?
• News judgment is affected by our
background.
• Newsroom myopia … pack journalism …
social isolation of news people.
Audience perspective
• News is a combination of meeting
audience “needs” and “wants.”
What does this mean?
Development of “infotainment.”
Crime coverage
• Television is driven by pictures …
violent crime provides good video
… white-collar crime is dull.
• People are concerned about crime
.. heavy coverage affects public
perception of crime.
Hard news vs. soft news
• Difference in hard news and soft
news? Hard news is what people
expect to see and hear … soft
news is optional. Examples?
Lead stories
• What makes a story the lead story
in a newscast? Affects or
interests the most people in the
audience.
• Always put most current
developments at the top of the
story.
Line-up
• Should you group stories from most
important to least important, from
the start to the end of the
newscast? Need strong lead
stories for the start of each
segment.
• Thematic blocking – similar stories
grouped together. Examples?
• End newscast or segments of
newscast on a “positive” note …
why?
Content of Newscasts
Stories to avoid?
Minor crimes, fender-benders,
suicides, minor court decisions,
small fires. Exceptions?
Spot News (?)
Event that breaks out without
warning.
“News doesn’t change, only the
names”
Use judgment. May be
momentous, unusual in some
way.