Newsworthiness

Those in the news business generally are in agreement on a number of elements common to a story that makes it newsworthy:

• Timeliness or immediacy: This is also known as the “breaking news” mindset. In general, the more timely something is, the more newsworthy it will be. This is especially true of social and digital media, but not as much in magazines and other long-form stories that deliberately take a long view. However, cable news has been criticized for turning everything into “breaking news,” which can increase feelings of fear, anger, and anxiety among viewers.
• Proximity: This refers to how close the news is to the people who will consume it. People need to know what’s happening in their communities, but news coverage tends to be dominated by national issues in politics, business, and other areas.
• Impact and consequence: The greater the impact, the more newsworthy a story is. Think of a major employer leaving an area or going out of business. Not only does this change have an immediate impact on the firm's employees, but it also can have consequences for the entire community from businesses to schools. Government decisions at all levels—local, state and federal—also have high impact.
• Prominence and eminence: When someone is in the public eye because of her position as a CEO, elected official or pillar of the community, that person's actions are often considered newsworthy because of the influence the individual has. Similarly, if someone is recognized as an authority or an expert, that person's actions are considered newsworthy.
• Conflict:  Stories involving conflicts also are newsworthy. Everything from activists protesting in the streets to politicians debating legislation to public spats on Twitter speaks to conflicting world views, values and policies. While journalists report on conflicts, professional communicators often are expected to respond to conflicts. Some PR firms specialize, for instance, in conflict management.
• Novelty: How unusual is the event or circumstance? Generally, the more novel something is, the more newsworthy it is considered. Case in point, this story from the Associated Press in June 2020.

Like most things in life, the news does not always fit neatly into these boxes. In fact, some of these elements stand in contrast to one another. Someone making news in close proximity to an audience is not likely to rate high in prominence. Situations like this require journalists to use editorial judgment in determining what information is presented to readers, viewers or listeners.

Real-World Example

Erica Mandy, a former broadcast journalist who now hosts and produces a podcast called The Newsworthy, has to make these judgments every day when she distills the most important stories from across the U.S. and around the world into one 10-minute podcast episode.

On Instagram, she summed up how she applies the principles of newsworthiness to her editorial process

There are essentially 3 things we consider when deciding WHAT goes in each 10 min of our news show:

1. How much does this IMPACT the lives and decisions of our listeners and their loved ones? And/or impact the country and world overall.
2. Is this part of the national CONVERSATION? So, would our listener be expected to know this while talking with friends, family, clients or colleagues? Or perhaps it allows them to start or add to an interesting or important discussion.
3. Does this provide VARIETY to our show? We always share the necessary serious stuff you need to know for the day, but we also want to make sure to have some fun! From what’s happening in tech to what’s trending in entertainment and beyond, we ensure every episode keeps you super well-rounded.