Discussion: What Is News?
As you watch a local news program or read a newspaper, you consume the report of recent events created by professional-and sometimes amateur-writers, editors, and reporters. Regardless of their status, these journalists take time to consider the details of a story and how to present it to you, the news consumer. These details can have a powerful effect on how you perceive local, national, and world events. In this Discussion, you will have an opportunity to become a more savvy news consumer by choosing a news story, determining how it was created, and tracking its "newsworthiness" from the day the story "breaks" through several days afterward.
To prepare for this Discussion:
• Choose a discussion thread based on the topics available this week.
• Each thread will present a different topic for a news story. For the topic stated in your chosen thread, you will find a news story that has the necessary elements for it to be considered news and determine whether the news story will persist or fade away.
• Reflect upon what is considered to be "news" and what is not. How does the definition of news change?
o Consider the multiple modes of mass communication used to deliver news stories. How do you consume news? How does your choice of mode impact how you view local and world events?
For this Discussion, choose one thread from the choices listed this week. Each thread is limited to a maximum number of students based on class size. A thread will close if the limit is reached. If a thread is closed to new posters, select from the open threads. You will post both your initial post and your response post in the same thread.
Thread 1: International Relations
• Post a 1- to 2-paragraph explanation of why you believe that your chosen international relations news story is or is not considered "news." Could this news story be the headline or lead story for today's evening news? What aspects of the story's message make you believe it would be or wouldn't be the lead story for the evening news, and why?
Thread 3: Entertainment
• Post a 1- to 2-paragraph explanation of why you believe that your chosen entertainment news story is or is not considered "news." Could this news story be the headline or lead story for today's evening news? What aspects of the story's message make you believe it would be or wouldn't be the lead story for the evening news, and why?
Thread 4: The Environment
• Post a 1- to 2-paragraph explanation of why you believe that your chosen environmental news story is or is not considered "news." Could this news story be the headline or lead story for today's evening news? What aspects of the story's message make you believe it would be or wouldn't be the lead story for the evening news, and why?
The response should include a reference list. Double-space, using Times New Roman 12 pnt font, one-inch margins, and APA style of writing and citations.