News Values

In current society, it seems practical that media outlets follow what are known as 'News Values' when researching and distributing their news stories. News Values are those values that will guarantee public interest.

Monday's lecture showed that the most 'valued' news topics that gain the most interest in the media fall under two themes: "If it bleeds it leads" and "If it's local it leads". Globally, and in the Australian society, these values continue to produce front page news stories, though they differ slightly from culture to culture.

An example in today's media of a headlining story under the theme of "if it bleeds it leads", is this account of a mother being hit by a bus, which was a most viewed in the Sydney Morning Herald: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/the-child-rolled-or--was-knocked-to-the-side-investigators-try-to-piece-together-tragic-bus-accident-20120503-1y0bs.html

In the lecture, it was interesting to learn that news values can also differ within different news outlets. News values don't always fall under the two headings above, and journalists and editors must make the decision whether or not their stories will attract public interest based on their own instincts. Even academics have tried to determine which values make the most 'newsworthy' stories, though their ideas all tend to differ.

I believe the most accurate analysis of news values came from Murray Masterson (1995), who believed the most important news values are:
1.Significance – IMPACT!
2. Proximity – location plus emotional, historical,
cultural  & social significance
3.Conflict – war, govt, celebs, sport, neighbours
4. Human interest –  a bunch of stickybeaks
Murray Masterson (1995)
Newsworthiness: Another Thought?
The “Big 6” news values (descending order)
5. Novelty – ‘the unusual’ ‘Gee-Whizz!’
6. Prominence – high profile, famous for being famous.
(list from JOUR1111 slide)

These values are quite broad, and encapsulate what I find most interesting within the news in Australia.

Media outlets must follow and understand these news values in order to maintain interest, and satisfy the public.