Criteria of Newsworthiness

Today you will read pages 21,22, and 23 of "The News" packet. Copy the following questions on to your blog and answer.

1.  Identify, define, and give an example of the 6 criteria of newsworthiness.

Criteria 1: Unusualness
Definition:The unusual is the different and out-of-the ordinary, and more often found in bad news.
Example: An airplane crashing

Criteria 2: Significance
Definition: Important events that affect many people.

Example: Taxes, election, war, discoveries

Criteria 3: Timeliness
Definition: News that is currently happening.
Example: Weather

Criteria 4: Proximity
Definition: Having knowledge of nearby events.
Example: New state tax law

Criteria 5: Prominence
Definition: When well-known people, buildings or places are involved.
Example: A movie star arrested for shoplifting

Criteria 6: Human Interest
Definition: Stories about ordinary people or animals, humorous, dramatic or heartwarming stories.
Example: A minister who runs a drop-in center for troubled teenagers 

2. On page 23 it discusses the differences between print journalism and broadcast journalism.  Please describe 3 ways they are different and explain. 
Print Journalism provides more information than Broadcast Journalism would. -When 911 happened, there was limited news on TV, but if you were to Google "911" many detailed stories would be available to read.

Broadcast Journalism is a more timely way to get information across to people. -It is easier to announce something on the radio or TV rather than the internet because people aren't always going to be on the internet waiting for breaking news articles to be published.

Broadcast Journalism has a limited amount of information. -They can only say so much, without dragging the story out.

3.  List all the criteria the story we watched at the beginning of class fits under and why.
Unusualness, because it's not very often that there's a crash and pigs end up roaming around the road.

Significance, because it's an event that may affect people driving on that road.

Timeliness, because people want to hear about while it's happening so they can avoid that road.

Proximity, because it's a nearby event for many people.

Human Interest, because it's a story about pigs that are blocking the road. It draws people's attention to the story because it's not something that happens very often.

4.  List all the criteria the 2nd story we watched fits under and why.

Unusualness, because one dog can't hear, one dog can't see.
Human Interest, because it was a heartwarming story about two dogs that need to stick together, because one of them is blind.

Timeliness, because they are looking for a home for the dogs.

5.  List all the criteria the 3rd story we watched fits under and why.

 Timeliness, because people want to hear about the awards as they're given, not years later when it's history. 

Prominence, because many celebrities won awards.

Human Interest, because people are interested in watching their favorite celebrities winning awards.