9.1.5

News Selection

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TV News

TV news is often regarded as the most reliable.

Why?

Why?

  • Newsreaders are seen as ‘neutral’ observers.
  • They dress smartly.
  • They maintain eye contact throughout the broadcast, viewers feel like they can trust them. 
Why?

Why?

  • Body language suggests authority.
  • They sit up straight, behind a desk, often wearing powerful clothing. 
High-tech

High-tech

  • High-tech delivery demonstrates the extent gone to to gain the ‘truth’. - E.g. statistical summaries and graphs, green screens, world correspondents etc.

News Values​ 

News values are the values and assumptions held by editors and journalists which guide them in choosing what is ‘newsworthy’.

News values

News values

  • For each new story that is published or broadcast newsmakers ask themselves a series of questions and aim to create the most newsworthy story.
  • The more news values the story holds, the more newsworthy it is seen to be and ultimately the more people that will engage with the story.
Composition

Composition

  • Composition​:
    • ​Do the events fit the style and politics of the newspaper?
    • Will there be a balance of items? ​ 
Extraordinariness

Extraordinariness

  • Extraordinariness​ :
    • ​Unexpected or rare events have more newsworthiness than routine events because they are out of the ordinary.​ 
Threshold

Threshold

  • Threshold:
    • ​The bigger the event the more likely it will be nationally reported.
    • E.g. natural disasters. ​ 
Reference

Reference

  • Reference to elite persons​:
    • ​Those stories which show coverage of the famous and the powerful are often seen as more newsworthy than those which feature the general public. ​ 
Negativity

Negativity

  • Negativity​:
    • ​Bad news seems to be more exciting to viewers/readers than good news.​ 
Personalisation

Personalisation

  • ​Personalisation​:
    • Events may be personalised by associating a particular celebrity or leader with the specific event.​ 

Sociological Approaches to News Selection

Neo pluralist, marxist and neo marxist approaches to news selection in the media.

Neo pluralism​ 

Neo pluralism​ 

  • Neo-pluralists argue that journalists are objective and impartial pursuers of the truth. ​ 
  • However they acknowledge this has become increasingly difficult to achieve in a modern world. ​ 
__Davies__

Davies

  • Davies suggests that journalists fail in their basic function to check facts​ due to 24 hour news.
  • This creates 'churnalism', where journalists are uncritical and have an over reliance on ‘facts’ produced by government spin doctors.
Marxism

Marxism

  • Marxists argue that owners influence the content of the news.
  • They do this by giving direct instructions ​ to journalists and broadcasters regarding the stories that should and should not be covered.
  • They will often use their newspaper or news program to promote their political agenda, this is now happening more and more due to the concentration of ownership.  
Neo Marxism

Neo Marxism

  • ​Neo-marxists suggest biased news is linked to the social background of media professionals.
  • The specifically focus on journalists. ​
The GUMG

The GUMG

  • The GUMG (Glasgow University Media Group) argue that the way the news is gathered and presented is the result of a journalists' social background​.
  • These journalists are often socialised in middle class families and education systems and they see nothing wrong with society so do not criticise it within their reporting. ​ 
Socialisation

Socialisation

  • As a result they side with the rich and powerful because they have more in common with them​.
  • Therefore, media bias is a by-product of middle class journalism and not intentional as Marxists argue. 
Jump to other topics
1

Theory & Methods

1.1

Sociological Theories

1.1.1Marxism1.1.2Feminism1.1.3Social Action Theories
1.2

Sociological Methods

1.2.1Types of Data1.2.2Positivism & Interpretivism1.2.3Research Design1.2.4Research Considerations1.2.5Values in Research1.2.6Modernity & Post-Modernity1.2.7Sociology as a Science1.2.8Sociology & Social Policy1.2.9End of Topic Test - Sociology Methods & Theories
1.3

Sources of Data

1.3.1Introduction1.3.2Experiments1.3.3Surveys1.3.4Longitudinal Studies1.3.5Questionnaires1.3.6Types of Questionnaires1.3.7Interviews1.3.8Observation1.3.9Case Studies1.3.10Documents1.3.11Official Statistics1.3.12End of Topic Test - Sources of Data
2

Education with Methods in Context

2.1

Role & Function of the Education System

2.1.1Introduction2.1.2Functionalist Theories2.1.3Marxist & Feminist Theories2.1.4The New Right
2.2

Educational Achievement

2.2.1Social Class: Internal Factors2.2.2Social Class: External Factors2.2.3Social Class: Attitudes to Education2.2.4Social Class: Difference in Achievement2.2.5Gender2.2.6Ethnicity
2.3

Relationships & Processes Within Schools

2.3.1Processes2.3.2Labelling2.3.3Categorisations2.3.4Student Experience2.3.5End of Topic Test -Education with Methods
2.4

Educational Policies

2.4.1Equality2.4.2Privatisation2.4.3Marketisation2.4.4Government Policies by Party2.4.5Globalisation2.4.6End of Topic Test- Educational Policies2.4.7Practice Exam Question - Social Policies
3

Option 1: Culture & Identity

3.1

Conceptions of Culture

3.1.1Culture3.1.2Mass Culture3.1.3Popular Culture3.1.4Global Culture3.1.5End of Topic Test - Culture and Identity
3.2

Identity & Socialisation

3.2.1Identities3.2.2Socialisation3.2.3Secondary Socialisation3.2.4Theories of Socialisation3.2.5End of Topic Test - Identity3.2.6Practice Exam Question - Socialisation & Equality
3.3

Social Identity

3.3.1Social Class3.3.2Upper & Middle Class3.3.3Working & Underclass3.3.4Social Class Evaluation3.3.5Gender3.3.6Changing Gender Identities3.3.7Ethnicity3.3.8Age3.3.9Disability3.3.10Nationality3.3.11End of Topic Test - Social Identity
3.4

Production, Consumption & Globalisation

3.4.1Production & Consumption3.4.2Globalisation3.4.3Evaluation3.4.4End of Topic Test - Production
4

Option 1: Families & Households

4.1

Families & Households

4.1.1Definitions4.1.2Functionalist & New Right Perspectives4.1.3Marxist & Feminist Perspectives4.1.4Postmodernist Perspective4.1.5End of Topic Test - Families & Households4.1.6Practice Exam Question - Function of Family
4.2

Changing Patterns

4.2.1Marriage4.2.2Divorce4.2.3LAT Relationships4.2.4Child-Bearing4.2.5Lone Parenthood4.2.6Diversity4.2.7The Sociology of Personal Life4.2.8Government Policies Post-WW24.2.9End of Topic Test - Changing Patterns
4.3

The Symmetrical Family

4.3.1The Symmetrical Family4.3.2Evaluation
4.4

Children & Childhood

4.4.1Childhood4.4.2Childhood in the UK4.4.3Childhood as a Social Construct4.4.4The Disappearance of Childhood4.4.5Child Abuse4.4.6Domestic Violence4.4.7End of Topic Test - Family & Childhood
4.5

Demographic Trends UK

4.5.1Introduction4.5.2Birth Rates4.5.3Death Rates4.5.4The Ageing Population4.5.5Studies on the Ageing Population4.5.6Migration4.5.7Globalisation4.5.8End of Topic Test - Demographics UK
5

Option 1: Health

5.1

Social Constructions

5.1.1The Body5.1.2Health, Illness & Disease5.1.3Disability5.1.4Models of Health & Illness5.1.5End of Topic Test - Social Constructions
5.2

Social Distribution of Healthcare

5.2.1Social Class5.2.2Gender5.2.3Ethnicity5.2.4Regional
5.3

Provision & Access to Healthcare

5.3.1The NHS5.3.2Inequalities in Provision5.3.3Sociological Explanations5.3.4Inequalities in Access5.3.5Inequalities in Access 25.3.6End of Topic Test - Distribution Health
5.4

Mental Health

5.4.1The Biomedical Approach5.4.2Social Patterns5.4.3Social Constructionist Approach
5.5

The Globalised Health Industry

5.5.1The Functionalist Approach5.5.2The Postmodernist Approach5.5.3The Globalised Health Industry5.5.4End of Topic Test - Mental Health & Globalisation
6

Option 1: Work, Poverty & Welfare

6.1

Poverty & Wealth

6.1.1Types of Poverty6.1.2Types of Poverty 26.1.3Distribution of Wealth UK6.1.4Sociological Theories6.1.5Sociological Theories 26.1.6Distribution of Poverty UK6.1.7End of Topic Test - Poverty & Wealth
6.2

Welfare

6.2.1The Welfare State6.2.2Theoretical Approaches to Welfare
6.3

Labour Process

6.3.1Nature of Work6.3.2Technology & Control6.3.3Work & Life6.3.4The Effects of Globalisation6.3.5Globalisation & Worklessness6.3.6End of Topic Test - Welfare & Labour
7

Option 2: Beliefs in Society

7.1

Ideology, Science & Religion

7.1.1Types of Religion7.1.2Ideology & Belief Systems7.1.3Social Stability & Religion7.1.4Social Change & Religion7.1.5End of Topic Test - Ideology, Science & Religion
7.2

Religious Movements

7.2.1Religious Organisations7.2.2New Religious Movements7.2.3New Age Movements7.2.4Practice Exam Question - Growth of NRMs
7.3

Society & Religion

7.3.1Social Groups & Religion7.3.2Gender & Religion7.3.3End of Topic Test- Religious Movements & Society
7.4

Contemporary Religion

7.4.1Secularisation UK7.4.2Against Secularisation7.4.3Secularisation US7.4.4Fundamentalism7.4.5Economic Development & Religion7.4.6End of Topic - Contemporary Religion
8

Option 2: Global Development

8.1

Development, Underdevelopment & Global Inequality

8.1.1Development8.1.2Underdevelopment & Global Inequality
8.2

Globalisation & Global Organisations

8.2.1Globalisation8.2.2Transnational Corporations & International Agency8.2.3Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
8.3

Aid, Trade, Industrialisation, Urbanisation

8.3.1Development: Aid & Trade8.3.2Development: Industrialisation & Urbanisation8.3.3Development: Environment & War
9

Option 2: The Media

9.1

Contemporary Media

9.1.1New Media9.1.2Control of the Media9.1.3Sociological Approaches: New Media9.1.4Globalisation9.1.5News Selection9.1.6Moral Panics9.1.7End of Topic Test - Contemporary Media
9.2

Media Representations

9.2.1Age9.2.2Social Class & Ethnicity9.2.3Gender9.2.4Sexuality & Disability9.2.5Practice Exam Questions - Presentation of Women
9.3

Audiences

9.3.1Media Theories9.3.2Media Theories 29.3.3Media Representations & Audiences
10

Crime & Deviance

10.1

Crime & Society

10.1.1Functionalism10.1.2Subcultural Theory10.1.3Marxism10.1.4Realism10.1.5Other Approaches10.1.6End of Topic Test - Crime & Society10.1.7Practice Exam Questions - Social Construction
10.2

Social Distribution of Crime

10.2.1Ethnicity10.2.2Gender10.2.3Globalisation & Crime10.2.4Media & Crime10.2.5Types of Crimes10.2.6End of Topic Test - Social Distribution of Crime
10.3

Prevention & Punishment

10.3.1Surveillance10.3.2Prevention10.3.3Punishment10.3.4Victimology10.3.5End of Topic Test - Prevention & Punishment

Practice questions on News Selection

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    What type of news is often regarded as the most reliable?Multiple choice
  2. 2
    Reasons TV news is often regarded as the most reliable:Fill in the list
  3. 3
    Reasons TV news is often regarded as the most reliable:True / false
  4. 4
    Which of these is NOT a news value?Multiple choice
  5. 5
    Select the higher news value of each pair: True / false
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Globalisation

Moral Panics