News Values
Information that the public needs to navigate the world safely and efficiently
Usefulness
Someone famous (ex. A celebrity or politician) doing something ordinary.
The bigger you are, the bigger the target!
Prominence
Gwinnett students surprised with $40,000 scholarships from Gwinnett Stripers
Human interest
Hurricane Helene expected to bring many inches of rain and flooding to North Georgia
Proximity
People and things are affected. If a large number of people are affected and/or affected to a higher degree, bump impact up to weight.
*Nearness to the audience (both emotionally and physically
*People want to make personal connections to the story
“hits close to home”
Proximity
Presidential debate airing on prime time television
Conflict
Hurricane Milton hit just after Hurricane Helene. New news. All news article should be this.
Timeliness
Newsworthy because two or more people, entities, groups or teams are opposing one another
Conflict
Means the story is intriguing or has an interesting spin to it, not something you hear of everyday
Novelty
Hurricane Helene devastated parts of western North Carolina
Impact/Weight
Taylor Swift attends a Kansas City chiefs game
Prominence
New information
The story provides new, updated relevant information
It is not OLD news
Timeliness
Anything that appeals to readers’ emotions is interesting. Stories that make people laugh, cry, get angry, feel sympathy or pity, or be amazed are often the most-read stories in the paper or website.
Human Interest
Sea turtles rehabbing at an aquarium are released on a sunny afternoon
Novelty
Weather forecasted to bring freezing temperatures in October instead of November this year
Usefulness