What makes a news story worth reading? I asked myself this question and the one of the main things I came up with was how is it relevant to the reader? September 11 was all relevant to us. How? We are all Americans. It affected us all differently I’m sure but we were all still affected on that tragic day. A little boy falls into a pool and drowns. Mothers and fathers will be affected because they think “what if that were my kid?” The main story that is going around today is about Tiger Woods and his affairs with other women. How is this affecting people? It affects some and not others. It affects golf lovers, and definitely has affected Tiger’s immediate friends and family with all the stories, accusations, and gossip swarming around.
- Timing definitely has a lot to do with a story. News happens every day. It is important to stay on top of your knowledge about what is going on in current affairs. People generally let something go in one ear and out the other; then they are looking for the next thing to hear about. People are always looking for new things to talk and gossip about. Old news is never news!
- How unique the story is plays a huge part in how newsworthy a story is. A person doesn’t want to read about the same thing all the time. The most unusual stuff will catch their eye and keep their interest.
- Human interest/ Proximity is very relevant to a story. If the story affects some people more than others, it will be more newsworthy to them. If you live in Ohio and are writing a story about a lost dog in California, chances are you won’t keep a reader’s interest for long.
The biggest thing is relevance to the reader. How can the reader and audience relate to it? Why should they care about your story? It’s your job to make the reader care.
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