Paper on News
News is one of the most common ingredients in people’s everyday life; however, to define it is not an easy task. It is even not quite clear who has to do it at the time when “the power of the digital revolution and the web hit closer to home” (Rosenblum). Delegating the task to journalists can be helpful, as they are professionals with immense experience of news coverage in all its dimensions and aspects. In the pursuit of news, one journalist can travel all over the world, from Madagascar reserves to the zones of military conflicts. Their experience of reporting not only the tragic events as real news but also covering the big trends, which “on any given day don’t amount to much but over time could be vastly more significant” enables them to define the relevant features of what the news is (Friedman).
Immediacy is the feature the news should possess; otherwise, it will not be “new”. Reporters always compete within their professional group trying to deliver the news as soon as possible, which is one of the most important characteristics of reporters’ professionalism (What is News?). They should be also good judges of the prominence of the news, which is its second essential element. Some events have an obvious value in terms of prominence. Popular public figures, famous people or those who, for various reasons, stimulate public curiosity, different presentation and events usually attract the attention of the broad reading audience. To present the news, which qualifies as prominent, a journalist must have a reputation and sufficient experience on the subject discussed.
Proximity is one of the key news components as it defines the target audience, of which journalists should be always aware. The news that stimulates the curiosity of basketball fans can be hardly appealing to a person who flees from ISIS or is keen on conservation projects. Journalists should have a visceral feeling of what can make good news stories and whether it can be interesting to different groups of people. They also need to see what should be done to enhance the news significance and appeal to different people.
One of the most common characteristics of the news presented today is the conflict inside it. Such a kind of news is observed not only in military or ideological clashes taking place worldwide but also in other spheres, for example, in the corporate business world or between different stakeholders. This element makes the news more attractive to many readers. It can be combined with oddity and suspense, the elements that form sensationalism as a complex feature characterizing the focus of the contemporary mass media that are in pursuit of their audience. Oddity has always appealed to human curiosity. Therefore, it is one of the favorite journalists’ instruments, with a special formula of the “man bites dog” defining it (What is News?). Suspense can also focus the audience’s attention on the news. The outcomes of …
