What makes news? A question providing continuous stimulation to a special field of media research: the news studies. News studies form the part of media and culture studies dealing with news in mass media. They give attention to choice, composition and topics of news. Relating to Harold D. Lasswells renowned question ‘Who says what in which channel to whom with what effect?’ (Lasswell 1964: 93) defining the research fields of communication science, they are mostly about the ‘what’, the content, the product, the news. What kind of circumstances turn an event into news? What makes it valuable enough to be published? And what is the currency? The New York Times puts it since 1896 into the slogan ‘All the news that fit to print’. But it’s obviously not that simple to explain. Otherwise there wouldn’t have been such intensive research and controversial discussions for so many years. News studies go back to the 1920s, when Walter Lippmann started researching origin, flow and value of news. Since then many models and theories have been developed. Nowadays news studies or news theories are collective terms for widespread models dealing with gatekeepers (the ‘who’ in Lasswells formula), news flow, news value, news composition, news bias, and agenda setting. This essay tries to sum up some of the most important theories concerning the choice of news, especially news value theories and gatekeeper studies. Voices being critical of the classic theories will also be mentioned. Of course a universally valid answer to the question ‘What’s the news?’ cannot be given. But maybe some references.
Table of Contents
Abstract
Keywords
Introduction
Gatekeepers – the subjective power of decision makers
New(s) studies in old Europe
Galtung/Ruge – 40 years after
Conclusion: Tailor-made news fit everybody
References
Objectives and Topics
This academic assignment examines the theoretical development of news studies, focusing on how specific events are selected and constructed into news media reports. The primary objective is to explore the interaction between gatekeeping mechanisms and established news values, and to critically evaluate how these processes influence the public perception of reality.
- The historical evolution of news studies from the 1920s to the present.
- The gatekeeper concept and the subjectivity of editorial decision-making.
- Comprehensive analysis of the Galtung/Ruge model of news factors.
- The relationship between news selection, construction of reality, and media bias.
- Critical discussion on the role of elite nations and elite persons in news coverage.
Excerpt from the Book
New(s) studies in old Europe
It was the International Peace Research Institute in Oslo where three scientists thought intensively about news values – meanwhile they are worldwide famous. Firstly there was Einar Östgaard who tried in 1965 to analyze biases in the international news flow. The same year Johan Galtung and Mari Holmboe Ruge engaged in the same subject. They emphasized that media for most people is the sole source of information about foreign news. Against the background of that statement and referring to Lippmans news value concept the Norwegians tried to categorize the important attributes of events making them ‘newsable’. Östgaard started with three important news factors, simplification, identification and sensationalism (Östgaard, 1965: 39). The three factors are supposed to show that news in the media has to be structured simply, relevant for the audience and as sensational as possible. According to Östgaard the news factors not only helped the journalists to decide, they also distorted the coverage.
Galtung and Ruge widened Östgaards findings towards a cognition psychological reasoned news theory with an expanded catalogue of news factors. They start their considerations at a well-known point (Galtung/Ruge, 1965: 64):
‘Since we cannot register everything, we have to select, and the question is what will strike our attention.’
Then they mention twelve factors that make an event look attractive enough to publish it. Eight of those factors should be independent from the cultural background, four are culture-dependent: 1. Frequency: the ‘time-span for the event to unfold itself and acquire meaning (…) The more similar the frequency of the event is to the frequency of the news medium, the more probable that it will be recorded as news’(Galtung/Ruge, 1965: 66). 2. Threshold: Galtung and Ruge compare it with radio waves – the stronger the signal, e.g. the more violence an event implies, the bigger the probability that it will be noticed and published respectively. If an event cannot pass a certain threshold it won’t be perceived. 3. Unambiguity: Galtung and Ruge assume that average news are quite one-dimensional. This implies the thought that media consumers (are expected to) want news that is easy to process.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides a foundation by discussing Walter Lippmann’s early observations on journalistic routines and the necessity of news values in simplifying reality.
Gatekeepers – the subjective power of decision makers: Analyzes the historical shift from individual editorial decision-making to institutionalized gatekeeping, citing the influence of the "Mr. Gates" studies and agenda-setting theory.
New(s) studies in old Europe: Examines the influential work of Galtung and Ruge, detailing their twelve news factors and hypotheses regarding how events are selected for publication.
Galtung/Ruge – 40 years after: Reviews contemporary challenges and modifications to the classic Galtung/Ruge model, including perspectives from constructivism and empirical studies by researchers like Christine Eilders.
Conclusion: Tailor-made news fit everybody: Reflects on the resilience of classical news theories in the digital age, suggesting that news remains a constructed product designed to meet editorial and audience expectations.
Keywords
news studies, gatekeeper, news flow, news value, news factors, media bias, agenda setting, editorial routines, journalistic criteria, construction of reality, mass media, foreign news, communication science, subjectivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
This work explores the academic field of "news studies," specifically examining how journalists and media organizations select, filter, and prioritize events to construct the daily news.
What are the primary theoretical themes discussed?
The paper covers the gatekeeper theory, the evolution of news values, the sociological aspects of news production, and the hypothesis-driven models of why certain events are labeled "newsworthy."
What is the ultimate research question?
The paper seeks to address the classic, yet complex question "What makes news?" by analyzing the criteria and professional routines that turn raw reality into published news stories.
Which methodologies are employed in this study?
The study primarily utilizes a literature-based synthesis of historical and contemporary communication research, comparing various seminal models such as those of Lippmann, White, and Galtung/Ruge.
What is covered in the main body?
The main body details the development of gatekeeping theories, the expanded catalogue of news factors proposed by Galtung and Ruge, and critical perspectives on how these factors distort or construct reality.
Which key terms summarize the work?
Crucial terms include gatekeeper, news value, news flow, agenda setting, and media construction of reality.
How does the author interpret the "gatekeeper" role?
The author views the gatekeeper as a subjective decision-maker influenced by organizational limitations, personal bias, and the pressure of meeting audience expectations, rather than a purely objective filter.
What does the "additivity hypothesis" imply according to the text?
It implies that an event's "newsworthiness" increases significantly when it fulfills multiple news factors simultaneously, making it more likely to be selected for publication.
- Quote paper
- Stefan Fößel (Author), 2006, What’s the news? Developments within the research field of news studies, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/73167
