The emergence of television has increased the need for drama in news. Lobbyists and special-interest groups have also increased the number of actors and conflicts. News is often perceived as an entertainment, but it is much more than that. This article will explore some of the most important considerations for selecting newsworthy content. Then, we will examine four of the most important elements for choosing newsworthy content: Relevance, Exclusivity, Shareability, and Timeliness.
Relevance
A recent study examined the relevance of news for South African young adults. The findings revealed that the media’s relevance to them had decreased due to factors such as the lack of time, interest in content, and the evolution of the ways in which people live their lives. This article focuses on whether these factors can be overcome through the use of new media technologies. It uses a group discussion to identify what drives the importance of news in the lives of South Africans.
Exclusivity
The current battle between news agencies is over exclusivity. The US press association has made exclusivity in news a very important issue. The US Supreme Court has ruled that news companies must have a commercial reason for using exclusive content. The question is, how do you protect the news you publish from competitors? If you want to be a competitive news agency, you should consider using multiple news sources. However, be wary of stealing other people’s story ideas.
Shareability
A recent study has identified the factors that increase the shareability of news articles. The study examined 132,682 news articles on six Dutch news sites. The authors analyzed social media activity to find out what factors increase the shareability of news articles. This is especially relevant since Dutch people are very active on social media, and many of them share news stories with their friends. But what makes news stories shareable, and what can news outlets do to increase their shareability?
Timeliness
Unlike television, which is prone to lag behind the real world, the internet has a natural advantage when it comes to timeliness. With countless messages constantly spreading on the Web, valuable news and breaking news often don’t make their first appearance on TV. Moreover, internet platforms have the benefit of massive UGC (User Generated Content), making it much easier to report real-time events. Furthermore, recording live is also much easier and less costly.
Impact
While the traditional news media have many benefits, there are several challenges facing them. The first is that people do not trust the information they receive from the news media. Furthermore, they do not have the resources to validate news media reports with other sources. This has led to the growth of alternative, non-mainstream media. As a result, the impact of news on society has declined. Fortunately, news media can still have a positive impact, if used in a responsible way.