News Selection
Media Studies: Eduqas GCSE, topic 2.9.2
News Selection
In 1965, media researchers Galtung and Ruge came up with a list of factors that may determine if a story is deemed newsworthy.
Mediation
- Individuals called gatekeepers decide which news stories to cover.
- It is important to remember that all news is mediated.
- In general, news should be in the public interest, however, there is a certain amount of ambiguity in classifying news that is in the public interest compared to of interest to the public.
Galtung and Ruge (1965)
- In 1965, media researchers Galtung and Ruge came up with a list of factors that may determine if a story is deemed newsworthy.
- These include:
- Unexpectedness - if an event happens that is a real shock to the public then this can make it newsworthy.
- Negativity - bad news is often more likely to be selected than good news.
Galtung and Ruge (1965) 2
- Elite persons or nations - news stories involving important political figures or celebrities will often be chosen as will stories involving powerful countries.
- Meaningfulness - how relevant a story is to the target audience or British public.
Galtung and Ruge (1965) 3
- Unambiguity.
- Continuity.
- Personalisation.
- Threshold.