Identifying News

Objectives

• To identify news determinants
• To identify factors affecting news value
• To apply news judgment to local situations

Notes to the Teacher

News can be difficult to define, but easy to identify once you know what to look for. As a basic guideline, facts interest readers. Therefore, news can be described as anything factual which is of interest to readers. News satisfies readers' curiosity by answering the following basic questions: Who?, What?, When?, Where?, Why?, and How? The best news is that which meets the criteria of the news determinants presented in this lesson.

Prior to beginning this lesson, you should obtain enough copies of the same edition of your community newspaper and your school newspaper so that each student will have a copy of each.

Depending upon the length of discussions and class periods, this lesson may take three or more days.

Procedure

1. Distribute Handout 3, a description of news determinants. Read the handout aloud to students.

2. Distribute the community newspaper to students. Have them read all of the stories on page one and discuss which news determinants lead to the selection of each.

3. Distribute the school newspapers to students. Have them read all of the stories on page one and discuss which news determinants lead to the selection of each.

4. Ask students to discuss which stories could be included in either newspaper and which stories would be excluded from one or the other. Be sure they explain their answers in terms of the news determinants.

5. To reinforce the factors which determine news selection for school and community papers, distribute Handout 4. Have students complete the exercise. Lead a discussion in which students give their choices and explain or justify them.
   Suggested Responses:
   1. B--Both students drivers and nearby residents will be affected.
   2. C--Chamber members will be primarily interested in this.
   3. B--Both students and business owners will be affected.
   4. S--Only students will be directly affected.
   5. B--Both students and community leaders will be interested.
   6. B--Both students and food vendors will be affected.
   7. S--Only students will be interested.
   8. B--The student body and the community will be interested in the details.
   9. C--There is little or no interest to student readers.
   10. B--Both student drivers and local residents will be directly affected.

6. Distribute Handout 5. Have students complete the exercise. Lead a discussion in which students defend their answers.
   Suggested Responses:
   1. Timeliness, human interest
   2. Human interest (emotion)
   3. Prominence
   4. Consequence
   5. Proximity
   6. Consequence
   7. Human interest, consequence
   8. Prominence
   9. Human interest (conflict), consequence
   10. Proximity, human interest

7. Present students with the following situation: You have room in tomorrow's edition of the school newspaper for only five of the stories in Handout 5. Which five would you choose and why? Have students complete the exercise on separate paper. Lead a discussion of student responses.
   Suggested responses:
   1--Timeliness is key. If a story doesn't run tomorrow, it loses all news value.
   3--Prominence, proximity, and timeliness are key factors.
   4--Consequence is key. All but seniors will be affected.
   6--Consequence is key. All but seniors will be affected.
   9--Human interest (conflict) is key. Consequence is also a factor.

8. If students need more practice with news value determination, distribute Handout 6. Have students complete the exercise, especially the defense of their choices. Lead a discussion about student choices and defenses.
   Suggested Responses:
   1. b--Human interest (conflict or oddity), prominence
   2. b--Proximity (More students will know the principal.)
   3. a--Consequence (More students will be affected.)
   4. b--Consequence (All students will be affected.)
   5. a--Consequence (Potentially, all students could be affected.)
   6. a--Timeliness (Next semester is sooner--more near.)
   7. b--Prominence (Television celebrity is more famous.)
   8. b--Proximity (Students would know their classmate.)
   9. b--Human interest (oddity)
   10. b--Consequence

9. Distribute Handout 7. Ask a volunteer to read the handout aloud. Elicit responses from students as to how each of these would affect newspapers. Also, have students give examples of each situation which could specifically affect their school newspaper.

10. Divide class into groups of three or four students. Have each group prepare a list of potential news stories for the next edition of the school newspaper. They should include items from the administration, academic departments, school organizations, and the community. You may decide whether to allow the inclusion of sports story ideas. Many school newspapers, like commercial newspapers, have a separate section for sports. All sports stories would be in that section unless overwhelming news value forces their inclusion on the news pages. Have each group read its list aloud. When necessary, students should defend items on their lists. Collect the lists to be used later when students begin their work on news stories.
    (Note: This exercise reinforces the fact that newspapers rely upon their reporters for news tips. Few school newspaper editors know everything going on in their schools. They depend upon a diversified staff to keep them informed of all potential news stories.)