Find the Good in News: A Foundation For Reporting
Nearly everyone has come across Newschooling on at least one occasion. Newschool stories can appear in print, on television, or heard on the radio. They often cover local events that parents and teachers consider important enough to report. Examples are local newscasts (casters) reporting on local happenings; breaking news (both local and international); weather reports; sports reports; news columns (press and editors who actually write about subjects in their publications or newspapers) and local sports scores. Some of these sources cater to particular age groups and/or genders.
Another way that Newschools convey good and bad news is through the newspaper or telegraph. In the UK, the Financial Times and the Daily Telegraph combine both newsprint and multimedia to deliver a “pages-turner” experience. A simple example would be a feature story, which is a brief account of what happened a day earlier. Other features could include features on animals (whether they are in trouble, missing, etc. ), new movies, the local flavour of a dish, and much more.
All news, good and bad, is a matter of interpretation. Asking a group of journalists to describe their personal values and beliefs, as well as their professional standards for the work they do, is an effective way to determine whether they portray the right news values and standards. This kind of information is not available to the general public. When it comes to journalists, producers, correspondents, and news anchors, it is difficult to know where their values come from and whether they portray them in a consistently competent manner. Their ability to tell stories that the public can understand and relate to is often the determining factor in whether or not they stay in employment.
The increasing focus on hard news and the impact of social media has also played a significant role in news selection decisions. Many newsrooms have been forced to make tough decisions about what topics to cover and what to omit. These decisions affect not only the journalists involved but their employers, too. For newsrooms struggling with tough economic times, tough news selection decisions have been made easier through increased collaboration between management and the newsroom. With shared business objectives, shared editors have been able to increase the strength of their reporting teams by sharing ideas, resources, and facts across the desk.
A final area of concern has been the quality of storytelling. Stories are important in telling the news, and the importance of quality storytelling is growing. A new study finds that when readers see someone making a mistake, they become more likely to trust that person. Whether it is through real time or visual means, readers need to see themselves as part of the story and that mistake will be acknowledged. When newsworthy events are covered and reported accurately and responsibly, it helps to increase viewers’ trust in that institution or organization.
Newsgathering is vital to effective storytelling, yet many journalists lack a foundation of solid news values. The value of a news story is increasingly seen as being rooted in its ability to inform. As digital technologies continue to advance, it is becoming increasingly important for news organizations to create content that informs while also providing a foundation for reporting. While it may seem challenging to find a balance between being entertaining and informative, this challenge can be met through the use of topical summaries and breaking news graphics. Readers will enjoy the engaging content and increase their trust of a trusted institution while finding the stories they need.