NEWSWORTHINESS: AN ANALYSIS OF HOW SOCIETAL THEMES ARE SELECTED AND REPORTED IN THE MASS MEDIA
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Around the world, millions of people daily attend to the mass media to be informed, educated and entertained. Gerald (1965) obseiwes that in countries where nearly every adult is literate, almost everyone reads a daily newspaper; although one may never open a book. The magnets to the mass media are the news stories they convey. Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, people hunger for what is recent, what is new and what is now. They yearn for the information that makes a difference in their lives. An axiom says information is power because what a person knows can transform his life. To the individual, the power of information gives him the expert edge, the cutting edge. Accordingly, information, as provided in news reporting, can enhance and enrich lives. Generally, it is a treasure that really edifies the lives of people in the society. But how do reporters judge what is significant enough to be reported? From the millions of daily events, how do the news gatherers determine what is, on the one hand, important and irresistible (newsworthy) and, on the other hand, what is insignificant and immaterial (unnewsworthy)? These questions lie at the heart of the investigation reported in the following pages