What is the first thing I do in the morning? I switch on the TV set, computer and try to find news, interesting for me . Each news has its reader or listener: doctors, scientists, programmers, engineers, teachers...
Society in general is interested in specific news, useful and productive for them. Media should cover interests and demands of society, and realize that public has right to know.

These fields are more or less mutually interesting for everybody as the material well being of humanity depends on these fields. Different countries have different priorities depending on their level of development, culture, history, and modern trends.

TV, Radio, Newspaper and other media has mission to inform and provide society with programs and information of high quality. Relations between society, government and media overlaps like a chain. But media stands between these two. This is the field that should be absolutely free from any control. Media has its standards. Professional journalism follows these standards. These are not limitations but contrary. They help journalists to seek truth and report it. This is one of the codes of journalistic ethics.

The issue I am going to cover is News and it’s values. The most important values of news are: Impact, Weight, Controversy, Emotion, Unusual, Usefulness, Timeliness, Prominence, Proximity, Currency, Educational Value.
Each component of these values are of same importance. And why?

Impact - The news TV, Radio, or newspaper covers should have an impact on the audience otherwise information is no more news. Development of technology, new trends in obtaining valuable materials of your interest is widely varied today.

Weight – According to this value news is determined by the fact significance.

As for Controversy, it is news with arguments, controversial ideas, fights, through these elements news becomes more interesting, but it does not mean that arguments should not be in correspondence with the news, event, or should be exaggerated.

The following value is Emotion – news should be emphasizing positive emotion, news should take into consideration the interests of society. As I have already mentioned modern technology development, cable TV and other channels of media have different interests, in difference with the time when there was no choice.
Media is not only the opportunity of making more money but serve interests of owners of media channels. I do not know, how much sustainable is the myth about objectivity, but human beings are subjective, each of us have our interests and values in our lives. News and each product media is producing is made by human beings. Another question arises: Does level of objectivity depend on the level of journalist’s professionalism? Indeed, depends and not only in media but in each sphere that is already developed and have some importance for public. Human resources high qualification is the basis of success organization may achieve.

What is Unusual ? Dog bites man or man bites dog? That is the question in news. What do you think which one wins and which one stands under the name of “Breaking news?” Hope you guess.

Usefulness? There is no mean of highlighting an event without having the value of usefulness. The main reason we all do what we do is the realization that it is useful for us otherwise we do something else, more productive and helpful.

Timeliness - the main focus is on what is new at that time. The importance of timeliness has twofold nature. News may loose its news value in some 2 days, in highly competitive environment media channels try to catch as larger audience as possible. This fact sharpens the value of timeliness in media field.

Prominence is choice between public and obscure person. What direction attention falls to? To the president who lost consciousness or to the ordinary person? Public person has priorities in advertising, too. Famous face causes more attention rather than obscure one.

Accident that happen in one’s own country is always more valuable for the native citizen rather than events happened abroad. That does not mean that people have less sorrow for the event outside country but interest and attention is driven to the local news. As for the events of global importance it is mutually important and interesting for the citizen of each country or region. This characterizes the value of news called Proximity.

In Currency news is qualified as news, only if it is the issue of public concern. Public concerns may be expressed in different forms. Concerns about political situation, criminal cases, killings but media should cover these news and following the standards, ethical codes, to minimize harm in society.

The last value of news is Educational Value. The main purpose of media channels, would it be TV, Radio or newspaper is to make the reader realize that after reading, or listening the news they know a bit more then before reading the newspaper, watching TV or before putting the wireless on.

Turn on the TV set, radio or computer tomorrow morning, open the first page of the newspaper, have a look and decide what is the most valuable news for you. Listen to it or read it and “know a little bit more than the next guy” as Julie Willis says. (Discovery Channel)

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