News Values: Blog task

 1) What example news story does the Factsheet use to illustrate Galtung and Ruge's News Values? Why is it an appropriate example of a news story likely to gain prominent coverage?

The higher a news story scores on this list, the more likely it is to become news. Using the example pictured, Afghanistan, in terms of geographical proximity, is far away from the U.K. but when a young British soldier dies, the story gains cultural proximity as British audiences see the soldier as ‘one of their own’. On an intensity scale, the first female officer to be killed is considered more newsworthy as it is unusual. The ongoing war in Afghanistan is a continuity story but often the interest in the story lies in that fact that deaths, even though inevitable, are not predictable; a bomb disposal expert may be expected to live rather than die, which makes the story all the more shocking. There is also clarity of facts from an authoritative source, namely the Ministry of Defence. This particular story, in its online form, had about 3,100,000 search engine results, suggesting that it was high on the scale of news values for many institutions as well as being of interest to audiences.

2) What is gatekeeping?

Gatekeeping is the process of filtering information prior to dissemination. This process is usually done via the editor, but the gatekeeping process could be seen to be more than simply an editor choosing one story over another, it could also refer to how journalist select certain lines of questioning, or use some words over others to describe people and event. In general, gatekeeping is about opening or closing the channels of communication and, in the case of news, it is a way for news institution to control the ‘flow’ of information passed on to the audience.

3) What are the six ways bias can be created in news?

-Bias through selection and omission

-Bias through placement

-Bias by headline

-Bias by photos, captions, and

camera angles

-Bias through use of names

and titles

-Bias by choice of words

4) How have online sources such as Twitter, bloggers or Wikileaks changed the way news is selected and published?

Many mainstream media outlets criticise the ‘unprofessional’ practices of bloggers. For example, blogger Ana Marie Cox released exit poll results during the Obama presidential election campaign, something mainstream press would not do as they argue it could affect the outcome. Cox argued her blogs only affect voter turnout “to the extent people believe them”. She added that blogs have made it more difficult for mainstream news organisations “to sit on a story” but the amount of people accessing such news sources is still not comparable to the amount of people viewing institutional news sources.

5) In your opinion, how has the digital age changed Galtung and Ruge’s news values? 
People are typically always informed about news stories on social media. This is especially valid for entertainment and soft news. Because newspapers are behind in technology, they are unable to report on this.

6) How would you update these news values for the digital age? Choose TWO of Galtung and Ruge's news values and say how they have been affected by the growth of digital technology.

In my opinion, when it comes to social acceptability, newspapers often fall behind the digital age. This is most likely because younger people control the majority of the internet, while older people edit newspapers. For example, the LGBT community and, in particular, men who wear makeup are now widely accepted in the online world. Newspapers, on the other hand, often avoid discussing and sometimes even oppose these subjects.