Newspapers: News Values

Read Media Factsheet 76: News Values and complete the following questions/tasks. 

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Conflict – Stories involving tension, controversy, or surprise.

Progress – Triumph, achievement, or positive developments.

Disaster – Events involving destruction or defeat.

Consequence – The impact or effects a story has on individuals or communities.

Prominence – The involvement of well-known or famous people or entities.

Novelty – The unusual, rare, or emotionally compelling story.

1) What example news story does the Factsheet use to illustrate Galtung and Ruge's News Values? Why is it an appropriate example of a news story likely to gain prominent coverage?

• Time Span: The event should best fit the time schedule of the news medium, for example a newspaper may be published daily so stories that are over quickly can still be published.
• Intensity or Threshold Value: The story may have a greater magnitude than usual or there may be a sudden increase in the normal level of events.
• Clarity or Lack of Ambiguity: A story with clear facts that does not cause confusion would be more likely to be published.
• Cultural Proximity or Relevance: The closer the event, in terms of geography or cultural values, the better.
• Unexpectedness: Being unusual or unpredictable will add to a story’s value.
• Continuity: Once a story is ‘running’ there will be some momentum to carry it further and keep revisiting the story.
• Composition: News stories should normally fit the overall balance of the medium.
• Socio-cultural: The norms and values of society (and the gatekeepers) at the particular news institution are likely to be reflected in the stories chosen.

Using the example pictured, Afghanistan, in terms of geographical proximity, is far away from the U.K. but when a young British soldier dies, the story gains cultural proximity as British audiences see the soldier as ‘one of their own’. On an intensity scale, the first female officer to be killed is considered more newsworthy as it is unusual. The ongoing war in Afghanistan is a continuity story but often the interest in the story lies in that fact that deaths, even though inevitable, are not predictable; a bomb disposal expert may be expected to live rather than die, which makes the story all the more shocking. There is also clarity of facts from an authoritative source, namely the Ministry of Defence. This particular story, in its online form, had about 3,100,000 search engine results, suggesting that it was high on the scale of news values for many institutions as well as being of interest to audiences.

2) What is gatekeeping?

Gatekeeping is the process of filtering information prior to dissemination. This process is usually done via the editor, but the gatekeeping process could be seen to be more than simply an editor choosing one story over another, it could also refer to how journalist select certain lines of questioning, or use some words over others to describe people and event. In general, gatekeeping is about opening or closing the channels of communication and, in the case of news, it is a way for news institution to control the ‘flow’ of information passed on to the audience.

3) What are the six ways bias can be created in news?

• Bias through selection and omission
• Bias through placement Bias by headline 
• Bias by photos, captions, and camera angles
• Bias through use of names and titles
• Bias by choice of words

4) How have online sources such as Twitter, bloggers or Wikileaks changed the way news is selected and published?

Online sources such as Twitter, bloggers, and Wikileaks have significantly changed the way news is selected and published by challenging traditional gatekeeping practices in the media. 

• Twitter and bloggers have disrupted the traditional news cycle by providing real-time updates and often breaking stories before mainstream media can cover them. This has made it more difficult for traditional news outlets to "sit on a story," meaning they can't delay or withhold information as they might have in the past.
• While bloggers like Ana Marie Cox can quickly publish information, they are criticized by mainstream media for being unprofessional or unreliable, particularly when they release information that could affect outcomes (e.g., exit polls during an election). However, bloggers argue that their impact depends on how much people believe them, which reflects the growing influence of online voices.
• Wikileaks is a whistle-blowing platform that positions itself as a "raw source" of information, aiming to promote transparency and freedom of speech. It provides access to news stories that may have been censored or mediated before being reported. Despite being just a few years old, Wikileaks has amassed over 1.2 million documents and claims to have published more scoops than The Washington Post in the past three decades. However, Wikileaks publishes raw material that bypasses traditional news values. This raw data is then passed on to mainstream news outlets, who interpret and decide what is relevant for wider publication. While mass audiences are unlikely to directly engage with Wikileaks' data, journalists are the ones who analyse and select the information that will be shared with the public.

5) In your opinion, how has the digital age changed Galtung and Ruge’s news values? 

The digital age has significantly altered Galtung and Ruge's news values by introducing new dynamics in how news is produced, shared, and consumed. Digital age and now news are published differently and more constantly but not always real as now many people can post and have the freedom to publish whatever they want.

6) How would you update these news values for the digital age? Choose TWO of Galtung and Ruge's news values and say how they have been affected by the growth of digital technology.

E.g. Immediacy is more important than ever due to news breaking on social media or elsewhere online. However, this in turn changes the approach of other news sources such as newspapers as the news will probably already be broken so different angles might be required. Newspapers now contain more comment or opinion rather than the breaking story. 

 Novelty: before Unusual or unique events were highlighted as being newsworthy. But now The digital age has made it easier to access the unusual, and the internet is full of viral trends, quirky stories, and unusual events. This has led to a blurring of novelty; what is unique on one platform may be seen as routine or overexposed on another, so anyone can post false news and information.

Time Span: before stories in traditional media had to fit a publication schedule, like daily newspapers or evening news programs. However now, with the advent of 24-hour news cycles, social media, and instant updates, the concept of time span has drastically shortened. Stories can now break and evolve in real-time, reducing the need for long delays in coverage. Instant updates on platforms like Twitter, YouTube, and news apps have changed the need for stories to fit into a fixed publication time