• In this assignment from CPMS225 in the fall 2020 semester, we were given the task to analyze several news stories and identify which news values they possessed. I thoroughly enjoyed this assignment because I was able to critically examine the news pieces and understand the reasonings behind picking certain news stories over others. In this exercise, I was able to demonstrate my understanding about news values, and directly apply them to real life examples. I think that this assignment is an accurate depiction of the concepts we learn in Media Scholars, and its prevalence in the media today.
Sophie Vaccaro
Alison Burns
CPMS225
16 October 2020
Week 7: Deconstructing the Nightly News
The first news story in the October 9th NBC Nightly News I will be analyzing is about Hurricane Delta in Louisiana. This story fits many of the criteria as outlined in the News Values list by Galtung and Ruge. First, it satisfies the criteria of frequency, as this story is very important because it is a weather emergency and it is happening now. Additionally, there are a lot of people in danger and having to take shelter as the hurricane is damaging their homes and cities which had just been hit by a previous hurricane only a few weeks prior. This also fulfills the threshold criteria as it has a large impact because it is a natural disaster. Additionally, there is visual imperative since they have footage of the wind, rain, and damage caused by the hurricane, and there is unambiguity because the story is easy to understand. The story has the characteristic of proximity because it is relevant towards people directly affected by the hurricane or those with loved ones in Louisiana. The news value negativity is also in this story as it is an extreme weather condition, and more people are inclined to watch bad news.
The next story is about President Trump holding his first in person event since his coronavirus diagnosis, and him saying that there is a cure for the coronavirus. This event meets the requirement of frequency as it is somewhat sudden and breaking news. This story also makes reference to elite persons as it is about the president. Additionally, since President Trump made the claim that there is a cure for corona, this story possesses continuity as it should be followed up to see the result of his claim and whether it is true. This story has personalisation, meaningfulness, and proximity due to the fact that the presidential election is only a few weeks away, and the intended audience is people living in the United States, and therefore people want to stay updated on the actions of President Trump.
The third story presented in NBC’s Nightly News is about the growing threat of radical militia groups who are extremely violent, go against rules and the government, and even plotted to kidnap Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, which resulted in over 13 arrests. Because of this, this story has the news value references to elite persons as it mentions Gretchen Whitmer. It also has unambiguity, as it is easy to interpret and understand the story. The story possesses the threshold value because the group mentioned is dangerous and violent, which therefore could be harmful to many people.
Next, I will be analyzing the story on the possible second wave of the coronavirus in the Northeast part of the United States. First, this story has predictability, as there has been discussion about a second wave of the coronavirus since the time of the first wave. A possible second wave impacts a significant amount of people in the United States, which makes this story have the value of threshold. Furthermore, this story is personalized as everyone’s lives have been affected in some manner by the pandemic. Additionally, the story is unambiguous as it is easy to comprehend what a possible second wave would mean. Also, this story has continuity as it can be followed up later with the actual data to see if the claim of a second wave is true. This story is extremely relevant to the audience, which makes it proximate. Lastly, since bad news is considered good news and more noteworthy for a news station, this story possesses the value of negativity.
The fifth and final story I am focusing on is the government’s effort to secure the election from foreign cyberhackers that want to rig the election. Since this event has to do with the election, it impacts the intended audience, which is Americans. Therefore, this story is proximate and has the value of threshold. It also references elite persons as it has to do with politics and the presidency. The story isn’t difficult to understand, which makes it unambiguous. Additionally, it fulfills the value of personalisation because it has to do with both the democratic and republican presidential candidates, which many feel a personal connection to.
Personally, I believe that Galtung and Ruge’s New Values are extremely relevant today. As demonstrated, every news story presented has several of these values. This signifies the accuracy of these values, as they are still being represented in news today as they were in 1973. There is a continuous pattern and many similarities among stories that are being reported on. I think that we will be able to continue to use these values for many years to come, and that there won’t be a time where they are obsolete. Audiences tend to consistently be attracted to stories that fit these specific criteria values. This results in higher views and ratings for certain stories, which is the motivating factor for news outlets to keep selecting stories of a similar caliber. Therefore, this proves that Galtung and Ruge’s News Values are still applicable to the news today.