The nature of news--Beginning Reporting

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Prewriting The nature of news What is news? Charles A. Dana, editor of the New York Sun, once defined it as, "Anything that interests a large part of the community and has never been brought to its attention before." In other words, news is what people are talking about. News is new. As Evelyn Waugh described it, "News is what the chap who doesn't care much about anything wants to read." 1. Put another way, news is a change in the status quo. But does a change in the status quo guarantee that an event is newsworthy? Suppose Philip, a normally reliable 10-year-old, is late for dinner. That may be of consequence in his household, but it is not news. What if he is three hours late for dinner? Then he may be missing and that is news. Then his tardiness takes on community import, especially if he has become the victim of foul play. So, as this example illustrates, news is not just a change in the status quo. It is a change of consequence in the status quo. 2. In a very real sense, news also can be defined as what reporters and editors say it is. They are the gatekeepers, allowing the accounts of some events, but not others, to reach the reading public. And there are other factors that sometimes can determine whether an event is news. These include the prejudice of the management, the size of the paper, pressure from advertisers and the news hole, or the space allotted to news. 3. Still, news professionals agree on at least seven main factors that help them determine if an event has consequence, if it is news. These are: a) Impact—How many people does the event affect? How seriously does it affect them? b) Proximity—An event will be more important if is closer to the readers. An earthquake in a far-off land is not as interesting as one that is close to home. c) Timeliness—Is the event fresh? Is it new? The news must be timely to be of use to readers. d) Prominence—Names make news, and big names make big news. Ordinary people are intrigued by the doings of the rich and famous. e) Novelty—This is the new in news, the unusual. The "firsts," "lasts" and "onlys" have been the staples of the news business for many years. f) Conflict—Conflict has been the currency of great literature, drama and movies for all time. From the stories of Shakespeare to those of Disney, conflict has played a crucial role. Newspapers are no different. g) Audience—Who is the audience? The answer to that question helps determine whether an event is news at all, and if it is, where it will be played in the paper.	Some of the lesser-known factors that determine the news are: Prejudice of management Pressure from advertisers Size of paper News hole
Prewriting To be a successful reporter The nature of news The art of interviewing—part 1 The art of interviewing—part 2 Harvesting the news The human touch
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