News Judgment

Imagine you are the editor of a daily newspaper based in Clarksville.  For each of the following pairs of potential news stories, check the story you believe has greater news value for your audience.  In the blank under each pair, defend your choice.  What element of news value does your selected story have that makes it more newsworthy than the other?

________ 1A.                 The Johnson County courthouse is getting an upgraded computer system.

________   B.       The State Department of Education released a report on computer use in Arkansas public schools.

_______ 2A.                Someone attempts to rob Superior Federal Bank in Clarksville and fails.

_______   B.   Someone steals $1,000 from a convenience store in Russellville.

_______ 3A.     A University professor is named to a national board on volunteerism.

_______   B.      A Clarksville Elementary School teacher is arrested on charges of drug possession.

_______ 4A.     The captain of the local football team attends a summer football camp taught by an NFL coach.

_______ 5A.     A camper at Horsehead Lake has an encounter with a black bear; there are no injuries.

_______   B.      A camper in Colorado is killed by a grizzly bear.

_______ 6A.   Baldor Electric plans to expand, creating 50 new jobs in Clarksville.

_______   B.   Clarksville’s new elementary school complex opens, providing space for 350 students.

_______ 7A.   2,500 people are killed in Taiwan when a typhoon comes ashore.

_______   B.      Chickens in Johnson County are dying at a higher than average rate; Tyson officials blame the extremely hot weather.

_______ 8A      A man from Michigan is killed in a three-car crash on I-40 near Clarksville.

_______   B       A man from Clarksville is killed in a three-car crash near Detroit.

_______ 9A      A computer worth approximately $2,000 is stolen from a local business.

_______   B       A university student’s entire wardrobe, worth approximately $500, is stolen from her car.

_______10A   University trustees vote to raise tuition $400.

_______    B   The Clarksville city council votes to impose a 1-cent “hamburger” tax.

Now imagine that you are the producer of a regional newscast which is based in Clarksville.  Look at the pairs of stories again.  Do you rankings change any?  If so, why?  If not, why not?  What is an additional factor which television news uses as a criterion for news value?