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By Contributing Writer Kashima Grant<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
By Contributing Writer Kashima Grant<\/p>\n
What is news? And why is “this” particular story considered news and why is “that” particular story considered news? I find myself asking the questions multiple times a day when I see headlines and stories via television, the Internet and other news sources.<\/p>\n
Tom Bettag, an executive producer of what was the The Koppel Group at Discovery Channel<\/a>, wrote in a December 15, 2016, Nieman Report article<\/a> that, “A sociologist once asked me how we (journalists) decide what news is. He was appalled at my response: Those of us in the newsroom decide what news is.” Bettag was being honest. The definition of news, according editors, producers and publishers who worked in corporate news American and had yet to contend with social media and new media, was that news whatever they say it is. Rudiments of this philosophy may still be alive in some newsrooms but definitely not in the significanse it was in America’s news rooms when Bettag was executive editor.<\/p>\n So this article is based on an assignment for my journalism ethics class, asking several media studies majors as well as other students, their opinions about what is news, the journalism business and how they get news information that they consider important to them.<\/p>\n Avid Maldonado, 23, says that \u201cnews is information provided from a media outlet that informs the consumer what is going on in the world locally and internationally.\u201d Avid lives in the Bronx and his interview was conducted in person and via email.<\/p>\n Maldonado, dressed casually in black sneakers with red patterns, white socks, black shorts and a red graphic T-shirt when he was interviewed in person, said people receive their news from non-traditional sources, such as social media pages such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and blogs. He subscribes to CNN and Yahoo news. He uses these sources because, he says, \u201cthey are easily accessible on my mobile device which gives me access on my own terms.\u201d<\/p>\n How does one determine what is important enough to be considered news? How does one filter through the available news sources to find the one that reports the news stories that one cares about? Technology has made it easier for many people to have access to sources that they consider news sources. More people are getting their news from online sources and news applications that are readily available on a phone or tablet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lesia Forde, 23, says that she receives her news from news applications on her iPhone and her Yahoo application. She also says that she uses these sources primarily because they are \u201csuper-convenient as opposed to going and purchasing a newspaper or having to sit in front of the television to watch prime time news.\u201d Forde, dressed casually in black sneakers with a white bottom, white socks, black denim pants and white T-shirt, lives in Rosedale, Queens. Andrew Henry, 21, who lives in Brooklyn, says, \u201cI primarily get my news off of Twitter and Instagram. I do spend most of my time on social media outlets. I have my own theory which is, if it\u2019s worth knowing, then I\u2019ll hear about it.\u201d Andrew, interviewed via email and in person, also said, \u201cThe reason why I check social media for my news, is because I know that the people that I follow will only discuss news that can be considered ground breaking and truthfully \u2018worth knowing.\u201d<\/p>\n With news so readily available on smart phones and tablets, it can still be difficult to find news stories worthy of our choice. We are living in a time with news sources reporting on the same stories in a race to see who can break the stories first, no matter what the stories are.<\/p>\nAndrew Henry’s Theory<\/h3>\n
\nThis interview started in person and was concluded via email.<\/p>\n
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