Tuesday, October 21 what makes a story news worthy?

What is news?

News is what somebody somewhere wants to suppress; all the rest is advertising.
Lord Northcliffe, British publisher 1865-1922

Well, news is anything that's interesting, that relates to what's happening in the world, what's happening in areas of the culture that would be of interest to your audience.
Kurt Loder, American journalist, b. 1945

What Makes Something Newsworthy?

Factors Journalists Use to Gauge How Big a Story Is            By Tony Rogers

Over the years editors, reporters and journalism professors have come up with a list of factors or criteria that help journalists decide whether something is newsworthy or not. They can also help you decide HOW newsworthy something is. Generally, the more of the factors below that can be applied to your event or story, the more newsworthy it’s bound to be. 

Impact or Consequences

Generally, the greater the impact a story has, the more newsworthy it is. Events that have on impact on your readers, that have real consequences for their lives, are bound to be newsworthy. 

An obvious example would be the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In how many ways have all of our lives been affected by the events of that day? The greater the impact, the bigger the story.

Conflict

If you look closely at the stories that make news in any given day, chances are most of them will have some element of conflict. Whether it’s a dispute over banning books at a local school board meeting, bickering over budget legislation in Congress, or the ultimate conflict – war – conflict is almost always newsworthy. 

Conflict is newsworthy because as human beings we’re naturally interested in conflict. Think of any book you’ve ever read or movie you’ve ever watched – they all had some type of conflict. Without conflict, there would be no literature or drama. Conflict is what propels the human drama.

Imagine two city council meetings. At the first, the council passes its annual budget unanimously with little or no argument. In the second, there is violent disagreement. Some council members want the budget to provide more city services, while others want a bare-bones budget with tax cuts. The two sides are entrenched in their positions and in the city council chambers the conflict erupts into a full-scale shouting match,

Which story is more interesting? The second, of course. Why? Conflict. Conflict is so interesting to us as humans that it can even make an otherwise dull-sounding story – the passage of a city budget – into something utterly gripping. And the ultimate conflict – war – is always a huge story.

Loss of Life/Property Destruction

There’s an old saying in the news business: If it bleeds, it leads. What that means is that any story involving loss of human life – from a fire to a shooting to a terrorist attack - is bound to be newsworthy. Likewise, nearly any story that involves property destruction on a large enough scale – a house fire is a good example - is also bound to be news.

Many stories have both loss of life and property destruction – think of the house fire in which several people perish. Obviously loss of human life is more important than property destruction, so write the story that way.

Proximity

Proximity has to do with how close an event is geographically is to your readers or viewers. A house fire with several people injured might be big news in your hometown newspaper, but chances are no one will care in the next town over. Likewise, wildfires in California usually make the national news, but clearly they’re a much bigger story for those directly affected.

Prominence

Are the people involved in your story famous or prominent? If so, the story becomes more newsworthy. For example, if an average person is injured in a car crash, chances are that won’t even make the local news. But if the president of the United States is hurt in a car crash, it makes headlines around the world.

Prominence can apply to politicians, movie stars, star athletes, CEOs – anyone who’s in the public eye. But it doesn't have to mean someone who’s famous worldwide. The mayor of your town probably isn't famous, even locally. But he or she is prominent in your town, which means any story involving him or her is likely to be more newsworthy. Prominence can apply on a local, national or international level.

Timeliness 

In the news business we tend to focus on what’s happening this day, this hour, this minute. So events that are happening now are often more newsworthy than those that happened, say, a week ago.

Another factor that relates to timeliness is currency. This involves stories that may not have just happened but instead have an ongoing interest to your audience. For example, the rise and fall in gas prices is something that’s been happening for several years, but it’s a story that’s still relevant to your readers, so it has currency. 

Novelty

Another old saying in the news business goes, “When a dog bites a man, no one cares. When the man bites back – now that’s a news story.” The idea, of course, is that any deviation from the normal, expected course of events is something novel, and thus newsworthy

In class or if you are absent, you are responsible for the following:

1. Open a word document 

2. Please read the following 7 articles and decide what makes each newsworthy based upon the above criteria. There may be more than one factor. Note that this is all current news.

3. Using this format, write out the headline, say why the article is newsworthy and copy and paste some supporting evidence from the text.
 Model: headline:
              author
              how news worthy:
              evidence:
              

4. This is due by the end of class on Wednesday, October 22. Send along; subject area is newsworthy

1. Texas hospital mounts '#PresbyProud' fightback as Ebola criticism mounts.            
John Swaine      


The hospital in Texas where two nurses became the first people to contract Ebola inside the US is mounting an aggressive public relations campaign to rescue its image, as nursing representatives call for its top executives to be held accountable for the crisis.

Texas Health Presbyterian hospital in Dallas hired Burson-Marsteller, a New York-based PR firm, to direct a fightback against sharp criticism it received after Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian man who was first sent home by the hospital,died there from Ebola.

It has since published slick video clips of smiling nurses praising their managers and hosted a brief “rally” of medics wielding pro-hospital placards outside the emergency room for television news cameras. Amid fears patients might stay away, the hospital has tried to flood social media with the hashtag “#PresbyProud” and issued rebuttals to allegations about its practices after nurses Nina Pham and Amber Vinson were infected while treating Duncan, who died on 8 October.

“We did everything we could within our power to treat that patient, because he was our priority,” a nurse identified as Josh said in an official video clip that was published to YouTube on Saturday afternoon. “I’m proud of my nurses and their heroic efforts”.

Three previous clips each asked Presbyterian nurses whether they felt safe at work. “I feel that I do work in a safe environment,” said Sean Faulkner. “I feel we do have the opportunity to be trained on new safety devices and new safety protocols.”

2. Mystery of the Hollywood sphinx: did unearths Cecil B. DeMille's lost treasures.\
             Archaeologists in California close to uncovering plaster work sphinx left on              a beach after filming of The Ten Commandments

Archaeologists searching for a long-lost sphinx buried beneath sand dunes have been given a tantalizing glimpse of new treasures.

But this is California, not Egypt, and the plaster sphinxes were not left behind by a pharaoh but by one of the Hollywood’s first emperors, Cecil B DeMille.

More than 90 years ago, the legendary filmmaker erected 21 giant plaster sphinxes and a temple as a set for the silent, black-and-white classic movie The Ten Commandments.

But in 1923, when filming was over, DeMille abandoned them among the sands of the Guadalupe-Nipomo dunes.Now, archaeologists have begun excavations on a sphinx that they hope will eventually be on display at the nearby Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, which has raised $120,000 for the dig, the Los Angeles Times reported.“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of site,” said Colleen Hamilton, a senior historical archaeologist with Applied EarthWorks and project director for the excavation. “I’ve worked on sites all over the country, and I think this one could only happen in California.”

Crews began digging in 2012 and found one sphinx, but money for the project ran out. Parts of that sphinx’s head are on display at the Dunes Center.

“It was a really pleasant surprise when we found out it was almost a full sphinx,” said Doug Jenzen, executive director of the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center.When they returned this year for the body, they found the wind had shifted the sand, exposing the plaster and damaging it beyond repair. But the wind had also revealed a hint of the foot and leg of another sphinx, the Times reported.

The second sphinx was missing much of its face, but archaeologists had been looking for an intact body to put on display to match the earlier head.

Residents of Guadalupe, a small farming community, left the set alone for decades out of respect, said Shirley Boydstun, 86, a member of the Rancho de Guadalupe Historical Society.

“The old-timers have always known it was out there,” she said.

3.

BUMGARNER GETS NOD FOR GIANTS WORLD SERIES OPENER BY JANIE MCCAULEY  AP BASEBALL WRITER

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The reliable southpaw is getting the ball for another important Game 1. Left-hander Madison Bumgarner will pitch the World Series opener for the San Francisco Giants at Kansas City on Tuesday. Manager Bruce Bochy made the expected announcement Saturday as his team worked out under sunny skies, one day before traveling. Bumgarner, an 18-game winner, was voted NL Championship Series MVP as the Giants beat the St. Louis Cardinals in five games. Despite MadBum's high innings, Bochy wasn't worried about the 18-game winner. Bumgarner didn't get a decision in the pennant clincher against the Cardinals on Thursday night. "I think I would've insulted him if I checked with him," Bochy said. "He's a big, strong guy. His last game I thought he had great stuff. It's not like he's thrown 120-130 pitches. His workload has been under control." Bochy is keeping his rotation the same as the first two rounds of the postseason. Right-hander Jake Peavy will pitch Game 2 on Wednesday, followed by 39-year-old right-hander Tim Hudson in his World Series debut Thursday at AT&T Park and then righty Ryan Vogelsong. Yusmeiro Petit, who has twice provided a huge lift as a long man, will stay in his role as Bochy stuck with Vogelsong in the rotation. "Petit in the job he's done in that role that we've had him in, you go back to Washington and without Petit it's hard to say what would have happened," Bochy said. "In St. Louis he went out there and gave us three big innings. He's a great swingman. Vogey, he threw a great game against Washington. He had a little bit of a hiccup but no, I didn't think about changing." 4.  Remains found in search for U-Va. student believed to be Hannah Graham’s T. Rees Shapiro Police on Saturday announced that they found human remains believed to be those of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, who disappeared from Charlottesville five weeks ago after an evening out with friends. Graham, an 18-year-old from Fairfax County, vanished in the early hours of Sept. 13. Jesse L. Matthew Jr., a 32-year-old Charlottesville man with whom Graham was last seen, was arrested and charged with her abduction, but the young woman’s whereabouts were unknown. Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo Sr. said the remains were found by a sheriff’s deputy during a search of an abandoned property in Albemarle County. Authorities stressed that a conclusive identification has not been made and said the remains would be sent to the Virginia medical examiner’s office for forensic testing. Longo said police have notified Graham’s family. Authorities also called off a search for the teen planned for Sunday, saying they would focus on the newly discovered evidence. If the body is that of the sophomore, it marks a grim end to a massive and emotional search that involved more than 4,000 tips and the help of family, students, community members and law enforcement who scoured the city and rural areas. Graham’s disappearance brought anxiety and unease to Virginia’s flagship public university, where students have held candlelight vigils and worn orange ribbons in hope of her return. “I want to thank everyone who gave up their days, their nights, their weekends,” Longo said of the search for Graham. “People who called, wrote and dropped food and good wishes and words of encouragement to the search groups and the detectives who work so hard through this investigation.” “Today would have not been possible without their prayers, their encouragement and their help,” the chief said. Longo said a police official reached out to Graham’s parents, John and Susan Graham, with “a very difficult phone call to share this preliminary discovery.” Police said they have been searching the abandoned property for any clues and said they would not release further details at this stage of the investigation. “Today’s discovery is a significant development. And we have a great deal of work ahead of us. We cannot and we will not jump to any conclusions in regards to today’s discovery,” said Col. Steve Sellers of the Albemarle County Sheriff’s Office. “This sadly is now a death investigation,” Sellers said. Graham’s parents did not immediately comment Saturday night. Five days ago, they issued a statement pleading for information about their daughter’s whereabouts. “It is heart-breaking for us that the person or persons who know where Hannah is have not come forward with that information,” the Grahams said Monday. “It is within their power both to end this nightmare for all and to relieve the searchers of their arduous task.” In an interview with The Washington Post in September, John and Susan Graham said they had been holding out hope that their daughter would be found alive but suspected a crime in her case. Friends and teachers describe Hannah Graham, a 2013 graduate of West Potomac High School in the Alexandria area of Fairfax, as a good student with a sense of humor. At U-Va., Graham participated in an alternative spring break as a freshman, volunteering long hours rebuilding homes in Tuscaloosa, Ala., destroyed by tornadoes. She was known as a central figure in the college’s ski club. 5.  3 injured in chemical explosion at UR Three graduate students were injured Saturday afternoon after a chemical explosion at the University of Rochester. School officials said the three students were doing lab work in the basement of Hutchison Hall, which houses the school's chemistry department. Three toxic chemicals — hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and sulfuric acid — and "the results of some acidic waste may have contributed to a small explosion," said Sara Miller, spokeswoman for the University of Rochester. Emergency crews, including local Hazmat units, responded to the scene around 2:40p.m., Miller said. The students were evaluated on scene and several of them went to a medical facility with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, Miller said. BoZheng, who is completing his post doctorate work at the University of Rochester in chemistry, was outside when he heard sirens from around Hutchison Hall, and said he saw people leaving the building covering their faces. "Those chemicals, they are really toxic and dangerous," Zheng said, referencing the three chemicals reportedly involved in the incident. The building was evacuated as the responders ventilated and cleared the building. The university did not enact its text alert system for this incident, Miller said. "The situation was pretty quickly contained and there was no imminent threat to the safety of anyone else around," Miller said. She said the entire building, including the lab, was reopened about 6 p.m. Saturday after emergency crews had finished evaluating the safety of the building. The school is in the middle of celebrating its homecoming — Meliora Weekend. STADDEO@DemocratandChronicle.com 6.  Police investigate homicide on South Plymouth Patti Singer, staff writer Police are investigating the Saturday morning shooting of a man on South Plymouth Avenue. Police did not release the man's name, but family members identified him as Carl Ward, 33, of Rochester. According to Robin Ward-Ashley, Ward's mother who was at the scene, he also had a daughter. Dorothy Manuel, who identified herself as an aunt, said she was out when another relative called her home about the shooting. "My son was telling me, 'They just shot Carl. Carl is dead.' I said, 'Where?' They said on Plymouth. So we came over here to see what's going on." Rochester police said that they received a call at approximately 9:50 a.m. of shots fired in the area of 699 S. Plymouth Ave. for a male who had been struck at least once in the torso. Officers arrived and found the man dead on a porch. No one is in custody. The homicide is the 26th in the city this year. Police attention appeared to focus on the front porch of a home on South Plymouth Avenue and the corner of Coulton Place. A van from the medical examiner's office was parked in front. South Plymouth Avenue was closed from Bartlett Street to Columbia Avenue during the investigation, and was reopened by late afternoon. Manuel said she had not seen Ward in a while. "I know he was a sweet kid," she said. "He was sweet to me." 7.  Bear bites arm off boy, 9, at Chinese zoo AP A bear in central China has bitten off the arm of a nine-year-old boy who tried to feed it through its cage. Media reports said the attack happened Saturday afternoon at a zoo in Pingdingshan Hebin park in Henan province. The boy managed to push his arm through the bear’s cage to feed it when the bear bit him. A doctor at the Pingdingshan Number 152 hospital said Sunday on Sunday that the boy lost his entire right arm, which had to be amputated.