1) What example news story does the Factsheet use to illustrate Galtung and Ruge's News Values? Why is it an appropriate example of a news story likely to gain prominent coverage?
Afghanistan, in terms of geographical proximity, is far away from the U.K. but when a young British soldier dies, the story gains cultural proximity as British audiences see the soldier as ‘one of their own’. On an intensity scale, the first female officer to be killed is considered more newsworthy as it is unusual. The ongoing war in Afghanistan is a continuity story but often the interest in the story lies in that fact that deaths, even though inevitable, are not predictable; a bomb disposal expert may be expected to live rather than die, which makes the story all the more shocking. There is also clarity of facts from an authoritative source, namely the Ministry of Defence.
2) What is gatekeeping?
Gatekeeping is the process of filtering information prior to dissemination. This process is usually done via the editor, but the gatekeeping process could be seen to be more than simply an editor choosing one story over another, it could also refer to how journalist select certain lines of questioning, or use some words over others to describe people and event. In general, gatekeeping is about opening or closing the channels of communication and, in the case of news, it is a way for news institution to control the ‘flow’ of information passed on to the audience.
3) What are the six ways bias can be created in news?
- Bias through selection and omission
- Bias through placement
- Bias by headline
- Bias by photos, captions and camera angles
- Bias through use of names and titles
- Bias by choice of words
4) How have online sources such as Twitter, bloggers or Wikileaks changed the way news is selected and published?
Wikileaks, a whistle-blowing site, also cites itself as being a ‘raw source’ of information for news. Its only agenda is to bring about ‘transparency’ and ‘freedom of speech’ and it offers a way for audiences to access news stories that may have been mediated or censored prior to being reported.
5) In your opinion, how has the digital age changed Galtung and Ruge’s news values?
I feel as though there is more focus on the 'visual impact' of news stories in the digital age, which opposes to how news was reported in the past - on radio.
6) How would you update these news values for the digital age? Choose TWO of Galtung and Ruge's news values and say how they have been affected by the growth of digital technology.
Unambiguity - Due to the digital age it is now easier to 'fact check' by checking multiple sources. This gives more power to the audiences, therefore they aren't just 'fed' information by a singular news source.
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