Explore the key news values such as timeliness, proximity, prominence, impact, conflict, human interest, and novelty, and understand how they shape news stories.
Understanding News Values
Why some events become news and others don’t
News values (also called news criteria or news factors) are the characteristics that journalists use to decide whether a story is newsworthy and how prominently it should be placed in a news outlet.
| Value | What It Means | Typical Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Timeliness / Currency | How recent the event is. | Did it happen today or just now? |
| Proximity | Physical or cultural closeness to the audience. | Is it happening near the readers/viewers? |
| Impact / Consequence | The size of the effect on people’s lives. | How many people are affected? |
| Prominence / Celebrity | Involvement of well‑known individuals or institutions. | Who is involved? |
| Conflict / Controversy | Presence of disagreement, clash, or tension. | Is there a fight, dispute, or scandal? |
| Human Interest | Emotional, personal, or unusual aspects that attract empathy. | Will it make people feel something? |
| Novelty / Oddity | Unusual, surprising, or bizarre elements. | Is this story out of the ordinary? |
| Currency / Relevance | Alignment with ongoing themes or public debates. | Does it tie into a larger issue? |
| Magnitude / Scale | Size or scope of the event (e.g., natural disaster, mass protest). | How big is the event? |
| Authority / Official Source | Information coming from credible, authoritative sources. | Is there an official statement or data? |
Note: Not every story must satisfy all values; the stronger the combination, the higher the newsworthiness.
| New Factor | Why It Matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Shareability / Virality | Content that prompts clicks, shares, and comments drives traffic. | A short, witty video that trends on TikTok. |
| Algorithmic Fit | Platforms prioritize stories that match user behavior patterns. | A local sports highlight that matches a user’s past viewing. |
| Interactive Potential | Stories that can be explored via polls, quizzes, or AR. | A live‑map of a hurricane’s path with user‑submitted photos. |
| Data‑Driven Insight | Use of big data to reveal patterns or anomalies. | Visualization of COVID‑19 vaccination rates by zip code. |
| Community Relevance | Hyper‑local focus on neighborhoods or niche groups. | A city council decision on a bike lane affecting a specific district. |
| Ethical Transparency | Disclosure of sources, corrections, and bias mitigation. | A fact‑checked article with a visible methodology box. |
Idea Generation
Initial Screening (News Values Check)
Assignment & Research
Editorial Review
Production & Placement