News is an important part of our lives. It covers a wide variety of topics, from the weather to food and drink. We need to know about the weather because it affects our routines, whether it is high or low. News on agriculture and food can also affect our daily life, as crop diseases and harvest sizes can have an effect on our food prices. It can also inform us about the latest trends and art events.

Content analysis of news values

Theorising the values of news is an ongoing process, and researchers have tried a number of different approaches. Some have studied the organisational, cultural, and economic factors that influence news selection, while others have studied the content of news stories. One example of a content analysis of news values is the work of Galtung and Ruge (1965), who hypothesised the criteria used to select news stories.

Influences on news selection

There is a growing body of literature examining the influences of media on news selection. In particular, Vliegenthart and Walgrave (2008) offer an overview of inter-media agenda-setting processes. These processes involve the use of journalists from different media to set news agendas. These journalists work in different ways and use different channels to share news. The authors distinguish between informal and enterprise channels. The former contains news items that are not available in other channels, while the latter is exclusive to journalists and initiated by them.

Impact of stories

Stories in the news have different impacts on people and society. The impact depends on the number of people affected, the resources involved, and the intensity of the events. Some stories have a global impact, while others are local in nature.

Timeliness

The timeliness of news is important for the circulation of information. Journalists look for stories that are happening right now, or that are about to occur. The most timely stories are those that are based on breaking news, critical events, or unexpected developments. Timeliness of news was important in the nineteenth century, when news was delivered by telegraph. Newspapers raised the date of mail correspondences in an effort to make news appear fresh.

Violence

Violence in the news has been linked to increased levels of aggression. This is caused by the way news outlets portray violent events. These violent acts can be glorified or overexposed. It also leads to delusions of danger.

Locality

Recent research has highlighted the importance of locality in news articles. The more local a story is, the more impact it will have on its readers. For example, a story about a major corporate acquisition of a local newspaper will be more newsworthy than a story about a national company’s acquisition of another local newspaper. As such, it is crucial that the government take steps to help local newspapers survive.