Download news values in the media

Understanding news values in
the media
Learning objective: To know and understand
different types of ‘News Values’ and how this
determines the worth of news in the media
Read page 157
What is meant by
‘News Values’
The processes of selection and presentation of the content
of the news
• Economic and structural factors influencing the selection
and presentation of news, eg costs and need for profits,
technology, competition
• Political and cultural factors influencing the selection and
presentation of news, e.g. censorship (direct and indirect,
self-censorship); the social construction of news
• News values and the role of gatekeepers; agenda setting
and ideology
• The impact of new media on the selection, presentation
and control of the news
• Moral panics.
• Identify and briefly explain three examples
of news values. (9 marks) (June 2010)
• Identify and briefly explain three ways in
which the news could be said to be “a
social construct that is ‘manufactured’.”
(Item C, line 3). (9 marks) (January 2010)
• Using material from Item C and elsewhere,
assess the view that the selection and
presentation of the news ‘is inevitably
partial and biased’ (Item C, lines 13–14).
(18 marks) (June 2011)
• ‘‘Both the selection and presentation of
news are ideologically controlled.’ To what
extent do sociological arguments and
evidence support this view? (33 marks)
(specimen paper)
• Evaluate Marxist theories of the ownership
and control of the mass media. (33 marks)
(June 2010)
• Assess the effects of the mass media on
popular culture. (33 marks) (June 2010)
Key terms
Match up your definitions with the correct
letter
You need to be able to use these terma with
confidence in this unit.
Answers
Globilisation
H
Popular Culture
K
Cultural Homogenisation
I
Postmodernism
A
Ideology
B
Hegemony
N
Agenda setting P
Gate keeping
T
News values Q
Norm setting G
Traditional Marxist (instrumentalist or manipulative approach)
Neo Marxist or dominant ideology approach
E
Pluralist approach C
The digital divide
F
Hierarchy of credibility J
Symbolic annihilation L
Horizontal integration M
Vertical integration O
Technological convergence R
Synergy
S
D
Gate Keeping
• Journalists make decisions about what
is and what is not ‘newsworthy’. Their
work is referred to as ‘GATEKEEPING’
• They only let a small minority of events
through the gate onto the next stage
of appearing in the news.
Spencer-Thomas (2008) notes that
news values are general guidelines or
criteria that determine the worth of a
specific story.
I.e. Is the story interesting enough to
attract significant readership or
audience?
The following are a set of news values
used by journalists - create mind map
Include one example from
newspapers for each
1. Extraordinariness
• Unexpected or rare events have more
newsworthiness than routine events
because they are out of the
ordinary….
2. Threshold
• The bigger the
event the
more likely it
will be
nationally
reported. E.g.
World wars or
natural
disasters.
3. Unambiguity
• Events which are easy to
grasp/understand are more likely to be
reported than those which are open to
interpretation.
• Can you think of any examples?
4. Reference to Elite
Persons
• Those stories which
show coverage of the
famous and the
powerful are often
seen as more
newsworthy than
those which feature
the general public.
5. Personalisation
• Events may be personalised
by associated a particular
celebrity or leader with the
specific event.
• For example, the war on Iraq
in 2003 was often presented
as Bush and Blair Vs Saddam
Hussein.
6. Negativity
• Bad news seems to be more exciting
to journalists than good news.
• News such as ‘There were no murders
today’ is less interesting as ‘ Three
people were shot today’
Which
news
values do
you think
this article
has
achieved?
Which news
values do
you think this
article has
achieved?
Practicing exam questions:
Assess the view that the news is a socially constructed
media product.
Explain that the news is a
‘social construction’ of
events hand picked for
broadcasting
The role of ‘gatekeepers’ in
organisational routines
Marxist explanations for
reflecting the elite and the
powerful
News is a ‘window of the
world’
Explain that the news is a
‘social construction’ of
events hand picked for
broadcasting
What
sociologists will
you include to
support your
answer
“Powerful people make news”
What does Hall mean by this
statement?
Comparing pluralism with neopluralism
Answer these questions:
1)What does Couldry say about the concentration
of ownership of news organisations?
2)What does Bagdikian say about the power elite?
3)What do Herman and Chomsky argue about the
propaganda within the media?
4)How does Stuart Hall claim that news is
supportive of capitalist interests?
If you don’t understand the Middle East
crisis it might be because you are
watching it on TV news
High amount of
fighting,
violence and
drama
What does this
statement mean?
Low on explanation
Homework:
Research a contemporary example of ‘moral
panic’
You can select an example from this list:
Ravers and ecstasy use
Refugees and asylum seekers
Binge drinking culture
Hoodies and ASBOS
Bring this issue to class and be prepared to
present your findings
Read pages 161-162
• Consider the background of media
professionals
• What did the GUMG discover using
semiotic analysis?
• How does Schlesinger criticise the idea
that media always acts in the interests of
the powerful?
More recent moral panics
Moral panics – contemporary
examples
• Refugees and asylum seekers
• 2003 – Panic over numbers and their
motives e.g. alleged links between asylum
seekers and terrorists and claim that they
wanted benefits
• 2015 – Same thing again
Moral panics – contemporary
examples
• Binge drinking – Borsay (2007) – suggests
this is not new as gripped Britain in the
1700’s
• Draws comparisons between the 18th
century gin craze and binge drinking today
• Both fuelled by pressure groups, the
media and public perceptions of
government complacency
Moral panics – contemporary
examples
• Hoodies – Fawbert (2008)
• Researched newspaper reports between 2004 and
2008 and noted that only one article in 2004 used the
word ‘hoodie’ to describe a young thug
• A year later, the Bluewater shopping centre banned
shoppers from sporting hoodies and baseball caps
• This was followed by Tony Blair vowing to clamp down
on antisocial behaviour
• The media seized on this and the term ‘hoodies’
became commonly used
• He notes that often, articles wouldn’t reference
whether the youth was actually wearing one – it just
became a symbol of deviance
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URYfLa
n-510
Moral panics!
CREATE A CONCEPT MAP FOR MORAL
PANIC
WHAT
IS IT?
WHAT
ARE THE
STAGES
MORAL
PANIC
EXAMPLES
OF MORAL
PANIC
WHY DO
MORAL
PANICS
COME
ABOUT?
Task
• Why do moral panics come about? Decide
which reasons are the most important and
why.
• Decide which reasons you think are least
convincing.
• Why are moral panics such an important
part of the media?
Noam Chomsky
Watch the documentary on Noam Chomsky
and make notes on manufacturing consent
Manufacturing consent
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzufDd
Q6uKg
• Watch 30 mins and provide an overview
on Chomsky’s view of media and
propaganda
Read to the end of the chapter