Reviewing Lesson 4

Recall that the choice for what information is deemed to be news is determined by 3 major factors:

• Universal News Drivers

• Editorial Judgement

• Audience Judgement

We have described 10 Universal News Drivers:

• Prominence

• Importance

• Human Interest

• Conflict

• Change

• Unusualness

• Proximity

• Timeliness

• Magnitude

• Relevance

Editorial Judgement

...is shaped by balancing what the audience needs and what the audience wants. That balance is demonstrated through the presentation of a story. The weight of the story can be shown by where it has been placed on the page/website, and the Tone of the story demonstrates how important the editor may deem the story to be.

Audience Judgement

... also plays a substantial role, as they support the role of the outlet. At times, you'll find that the outlet will bend to the needs of the audience, and this will shape the presentation of news from the outlet.