The essentials
News is a report of a recent event, development or issue that is of interest or importance to a large number of people. A common saying explains novelty in news: "When a dog bites a man, that is not news; when a man bites a dog, that is news." Editors use news values to choose which events become news and how prominently they appear.
Key points
- Timeliness: recent events are more newsworthy.
- Proximity: events close to the audience, geographically or emotionally, matter more.
- Prominence: well-known people or institutions attract attention.
- Impact or consequence: events affecting many lives, such as a change in exam rules or a flood.
- Conflict: disputes, contests, wars and elections.
- Human interest: stories that touch emotions, such as a child's courage.
- Novelty or unusualness: rare or odd events.
- Components of a news story: headline, byline (writer's name), dateline (place and date), lead or intro, body, and often photographs with captions.
- News should be accurate, balanced, objective and clear.
Exam tips
In case-based questions, look for the strongest value: a local water shortage report in a city paper shows proximity; a famous athlete's injury shows prominence.
Common mistakes
A byline names the writer; a dateline gives the place (and often date) from where a story is filed. Do not mix them up.
Practice questions
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