The news can be divided into different categories. These categories include impact of an event, timeliness, and relevance. For example, you may find newsworthy the news about an insect attack on crops. However, you might not find newsworthy the comments made by a peasant farmer. Nevertheless, you might find newsworthy the comments of an archbishop, whose views are important for forming Church policy.
Reporting of current events
Reporting of current events involves gathering news, preparing commentary, and distributing it. It originally applied to printed publications, but expanded as radio, television, and the internet made news more widely available. Journalists work in many different media, and some report events in their own words. They may also produce graphics and illustrations.
Reporting of current events must comply with the principles of suitability, necessity, and appropriateness. Exceptions to these standards apply when journalists use excerpts or quotes from sources. This exception is in place to safeguard the role of the press in informing the public.
Impact of an event
The impact of an event on news coverage can be very powerful. Some people find it difficult to turn away from the news when it reports on events that have affected their lives. Others watch news to prepare for similar events that may happen in the future. Yet others watch news to see exciting images of what will happen next.
Timeliness
The timeliness of news is an important characteristic for newsgathering. Historically, it has been an important way to engage audiences, and a journalist’s job is to make news timely. However, timeliness has not always been the same. During the 19th century, newspapers had to contend with powerful sources who sometimes fixed publication dates. This practice was known as embargoing. In addition, some stories were not truly news until they were released. In addition, many newspapers would raise the dates on mail correspondence in an attempt to give the impression that the story was written yesterday.
The development of the telegraph and the emergence of wire services influenced the production and timeliness of news. Newspaper correspondents supplemented wire-service dispatches, and publications’ staff processed dispatches for delivery to readers. Moreover, timeliness was also affected by public, organizational, and occupational settings. Occupational literature focuses on the topic of timeliness, and research on the audience for newspapers highlights the cultural effects of timely news.
Relevance
The relevance of news is a complicated construct constructed by users at multiple scales and using diverse linguistic strategies. News users construct relevance at several levels by using self-reference and collective pronouns. In one study, users who found a story relevant had a significantly different distribution of pronouns. Specifically, news users who identified with a larger social collectivity were more likely to find the story relevant.
In another study, participants rated news stories on personal relevance by watching videos and reading the transcripts. They rated news as high or low in terms of how personally relevant it was to them. News stories that were viewed as high relevance were those that posed no immediate threat to the individual. Several models have been developed to explain how news stories are chosen based on their relevance to the reader.
Impact
The impact of news can be profound. Studies have shown that negative news can raise heart rates and have serious effects on health. For example, a recent study of stress following 9/11 found that people with high stress levels were 53% more likely to develop cardiovascular problems within three years, regardless of their previous health. It also found that 9/11 coverage was associated with increased stress levels years later.
The impact of news on society is vast, and can be a good or bad thing, depending on how it is portrayed. News channels that are based on factual reporting can contribute to an individual’s well-being and help him or her make better decisions. Positive news can inspire people to take action, and this can benefit society as a whole.
