News Flashcards
What does McQuail argue about news?
=> News is a socially manufactured product as it’s the end result of a selective process.
=> News is selected and presented by professionals called ‘gatekeepers’.
=> Gatekeepers decide what events are important, what to cover, and how to cover it
What are the 3 influences of news selection?
=> The news values held by media organisations
=> Organisational or bureaucratic routines
=> Ownership of media news organisations
What are the 3 influences of news selection?
=> The news values held by media organisations
=> Organisational or bureaucratic routines
=> Ownership of media news organisations
What did Galtung and Ruge analyse?
=> Analysed international news across newspapers in Norway and identified 4 values shared by journalists, which were whether news: was extraordinary, had reference to elite persons, had personalization potential, had negativity.
What is the ‘extraordinary’ news?
=> Rare, unpredictable events
=> Have more ‘newsworthiness’ than routine stories
=> Includes: disasters, celebrity deaths (especially when they’re young/die unexpectedly)
What is the ‘reference to elite person’ news?
=> Famous and powerful people at top of hierarchy are more newsworthy than everyday people
=> ‘Cult of celebrity’ developed that extended definition of who is in public interest
What is the ‘personalization’ news?
Events can be ‘personalised’ by referring to a celebrity associated to them, making them more likely to be reported.
What is the ‘negativity’ news?
=> Bad (shocking/upsetting) news is more exciting than good news
=> Stories about death, tragedy, violence, natural disasters etc, attract much bigger audiences
What is the evaluation of Galtung and Ruge?
=> Research limited to Norwegian newspapers
=> List of values may not be relevant today
=> British newspapers value surprise, celebs, entertainment and good news
