How to Choose a News Story
Putting together a news item is a balancing act, and a journalist needs to be sure to cover the basics while also being creative.
The best news stories are those that affect the lives of the readers. This doesn’t mean that they have to affect a large number of people. A story about a 90-year-old man still taking his daily bus ride may not be newsworthy, but a story about the assassination of Mrs Gandhi would be.
The aforementioned insect may be a major event in one part of the world, but it’s unlikely that this discovery will make the news in another.
It is true that many things occur all the time. However, the assassination of Mrs Gandhi is a notable exception.
It is also true that the best way to find out about the newest developments is to subscribe to a local newspaper. This will be easier in the future with more local media outlets popping up in every city.
A study by the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism took a closer look at the news ecosystem in a single city. They found that there are six major storylines. Those are money, health, entertainment, politics, science, and social.
The most important thing to remember is that the news item you choose should be relevant to your life. In other words, it is not a waste of time to read a piece of news about a sex scandal or the death of a king.