News Values

News values are the considerations which news producers use when deciding which stories to run and in what order

Negativity:  Something bad such as death, crime, finance troubles, damage, disasters, violence, bad weather. An example of this is 'Trojan Horse': PM calls for snap inspections by Ofsted .

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27757070

Proximity: People relate more to stories that are geographically close to them or which involve people from their area or country. News story example - 12-year-old boy who saved friends from Stanley bus wreckage tells his story.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/cameron-davison-who-called-ambulance-7233884

Recency:  If a news agency breaks a story first they will sell more papers, so they are all competitive over breaking news stories first. New story example - Taliban claim deadly attack on Karachi airport.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-27758029

Currency: This is the opposite to recency, these stories have been in the public eye for some time and are already valuable. Example – Madeleine McCan: Police conclude scrubland search.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27759098

Continuity: These are about continually breaking stories which will develop and keep audiences coming back. Example is the same as the example above.

Uniqueness: A story that covers odd, unique or unusual events. Headline “Dead Crocodile Found On Scottish Golf Course”

http://news.sky.com/story/1276984/dead-crocodile-found-on-scottish-golf-course

Simplicity: Stories which can be summed up easily are preferred to ones which are harder to explain. For example a story about the world cup opening ceremony would be preferred to something about the political situation in Brazil.

Personality: Used for a human interest angle, these stories circle around one person often well known. A lot of people say that these types of stories are overvalued by the media.  “Sandra Bullock at home as burglar breaks in”

http://news.sky.com/story/1278310/sandra-bullock-at-home-as-burglar-breaks-in

Expectedness: Does an event adhere to the expectations of a newspapers audience or did the expected result actually happen. (Violence at a demonstration, civilian casualties in an attack, political victories).  Iraq's second city Mosul burning and overrun by Islamic insurgents after government forces run away

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2654294/A-threat-Middle-East-Families-flee-warning-terrorists-overrun-Iraqs-second-city-Mosul-seen-gateway-Syria-set-hundreds-prisoners-free.html

Elite nations or people: A story which covers an important person, nation or organisation has a higher value than a story which covers bigger events in smaller. "Beckham faces MLS setback in Miami".  

http://news.sky.com/story/1279737/beckham-faces-mls-setback-in-miami

Exclusivity: If a news organisation is the only one that has a story then it will rate very highly as the story is only available there. “Exclusive: Fresh doubt over Michael Gove’s version of ‘Trojan Horse’ affair”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/exclusive-fresh-doubt-over-michael-goves-version-of-trojan-horse-affair-9524627.html

David Burd.