The actual definition of news isn’t something I gave much thought to prior to Principles of Journalism. My previous understanding had me thinking that news is exclusively the type of content you find in The Herald or on the six o’clock news. In hindsight, I can now recognise that it’s so much more than that.
News is an overarching term that can define a variety of content from the unusual to the stirring to the important. The definition that resonates with me most strongly is “the stuff people need to know.” Journalists are people with the power to keep those in power honest and to give people crucial information, this is an integral role in our society because (excuse the horrendous clichè,) knowledge really is power.
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Moving on from the literal definition of news, what is news value? In a nutshell, it’s the values most common across news stories. They are attributes that when put into place, make a story relevant in the public sphere by encapsulating what the public needs to know. The stronger the level of public interest in a story determines the impact it will have.
So with a firm grasp of what news really is, I’m at last able to move on to finding my first story. Research, sources and hard facts are your best friends in this industry and the most effective way of finding them is getting involved in your community. Taking the first step by joining the Sandringham facebook group has opened my eyes to a variety of possible story ideas. My next move will be to find some possible stories and check them for public interest and news values before reaching out and talking to strangers.
Journalism By Paris 