Week 2 - Class Notes I

Class Notes (Week 2)

What is news?

Continental Air Lines crash in Denver 20 years ago.

I ask:

A plane crashes. You’re a Statesman editor deciding whether to put it in the next day’s paper, and if so, where? What questions would you ask? What would you do, given the answers?


1.)) Where did it crash?
On the Flying Y.
At the Denver international airport.
New Delhi international airport.


Which would go on the top of the front page? On the bottom of the front page? Inside? Not at all?

2.)) When did it happen?
Rush hour
3 a.m.
20 years ago

3.)) How big a plane was it?

Piper cub
737
747

4.)) How many people were killed?
None
2
175
420

5.)) Where were most of the passengers from?
Boise
Boise and the Pacific Northwest
Mostly from Asia

6.)) Who was killed
Little-known passengers
Mayor of Boise
President of the United States

7.)) What impact will this have on Boise?
If the mayor, obvious.
If the entire executive level of Trugreen Lawn care, that’s a particular impact.
For many years, Continental stopped flying out of Boise.

So this, and other questions, can illustrate the news values of proximity, timeliness, magnitude, celebrity and impact.

What other values can you think of?