Elements of News

1. Timeliness. Based on the idea that news is something you didnt

know before which is significant or interesting to a group of readers,
news items are basically timely or immediate. In other words, items are
fresh and new as usually indicated in the news by the use of words
today or yesterday or at present time and the use of the present
tense in news headline as one principle in journalism. Although news is
basically timely, it may not be always new or fresh, for it can be the
development of an old event. There are news that are drawn from the
historic past and are made to come alive by playing on or reporting the
newest angle or latest development of the story.
2. Popularity. Popular or prominent persons, places, or events make
news. persons become popular due to their position, rank, wealth,
intellect, talent, skill, personality, and achievement. Well-known places
make news due to their tourism value, historical, political, economical,
and social significance. Popular events are usually those that involve a
multitude of people or some well-known personalities as in the case of
the Miss Universe Pageant, and film festivals. Most of the events or
activities or any gathering that involves the president of the country is
newsworthy. Besides, the president of a country is a significant figure
and is undoubtedly a popular person. So even if the incident is routine
like the raising of the flag, if the president of a country does it on a
certain occasion, it is a page one story.
3. Nearness. What readers consider interesting and important can be
news but the degree of interest and importance will vary from place to
place and from one set of readers to another. What is news in the
province may not be news in Manila. What is important or interesting to
high schoolers may not be that significant to professionals or
businessmen. Nearness to the event affects readers interest. Reports or
events that happen nearest to the readers or to those that directly involve
them will be most interesting to them. However, nearness is not merely
physical, it can also be emotional. As such news in Japan will be more of
interest to the Japanese than to the Filipinos. But a report on the life of
Filipinos in America will be interesting to the people of the Philippines
because of family ties or emotional links.
4. Conflict. Events of ideas that involve physical or mental struggle,
though these are not encouraged, would make news. These range from
wars, rebellion, crimes, chaos, duel, or fist fight, and from games,
competitions and even writing contests. As the various elements or
criteria overlap, one event may have two or more elements portrayed as
in a word war of two prominent personalities on a very significant
issue. For this example of event, there are at least three dominant
elements reflected: conflict, popularity or prominence, and significance.
5. Significance. Persons, places, events, or things that are of value, use,
and significance are necessarily interesting to a set of readers. The
reading public has to be warned of an approaching typhoon, an
impending war, rise in prices of commodities and services, and bandits
at large, even of new tax exemptions or measures. If it is worth knowing,
then that must be news. Why should people be informed of such events
of significance? It is because the newspapers has to serve the public and
make people be more prepared and better equipped to face the trying
times and lifes difficulties and tragedies.
6. Unusualness. Anything that deviates from the normal or usual flow of
happenings attracts attention and, therefore, to some extent, are of
interest to readers. The writers watchful eye, nose for news, and keen
senses are for catching the peculiar, the special, the odd, the unique, the
different, the rare, and the bizarre. Of course, you have heard of the
Siamese twins, the mudfish baby with human lips, the three-legged cock,
and thing like one for Ripleys.
7. Emotions. Events, situations or ideas that cater to the emotions of
people(not only those that tickle the minds), also make news. The poor,
the street children, the disabled, the sick, AIDS victims, are subject of
emotional news reporting. Human interest situations draw various
feelings from readers. Such may make the readers do something about
some particular tragic events. For instance, reports on the victims of
earthquakes influence readers to react to some charitable knocks to their
hearts. Dramatic events like suicide, coup de tat, massacre, or hunger
strikes appeal to the emotions of people, and are, therefore, newsworthy.
8. Gender. Newspapers cater to different groups of readers due to the
varying interests and activities of men, women, and in betweens. A
news is created when women invade men;s usual territories or vice-
versa. Like when women first went into space exploration, or when a
woman ruled a nation or when men dominated the cuisine and even
reigned the laundering which society considers places for women.
9. Progress. Reports on progress, whether physical, mental, economic,
emotional, or social, constitute good news. Newspapers carry both good
and bad news, for people learn from both events. It is just sad to note
that generally speaking, some newspapers if not all the local papers
consider bad news as news and good news as no news.
10. Change. Changes that affect the majority or certain groups of people
make news. Some of these changes are change in administration and
policies, change of name or popular places or events, changes of
weather, fluctuating rates of exchange, change of partners of party
mates, change of schedule or postponement and other major or even
insignificant changes that may pave way for big events. While some
changes are unexpected, there are also expected ones.
11. Names and Numbers. Figures, statistics, numbers, and series of
names also make news. Many names would also make many readers.
Numbers or figures are parts of reports on a good number of
newsworthy events like election results, scores in games, ratings in
examinations, and percentage of passing, vital statistics for beauty
pageants, number or fatalities or casualties in catastrophes, accidents,
and battles; prices of goods and services, increase in salaries, and other
events that deal with figures. Names and numbers usually come together
for these are two basic facts that reporters need to complete their news
stories.