What's news

Nino

Well-known member
Although I said that I will only post on the new EFP forum, this reply by Leslinger is directed toward the news business and I think it should make an important topic.

I understood everything up to the point where Nino decides what ENG is and ENG isn't. That said, I look forward to an invigorated b-roll and hope this most recent division of disciplines will assist younger readers in always considering the source.
Although unclear I imagine that he is referring to my post on the EFP Forum as I was explaining what the new ENG forum should be.

This is for the traditional news photographer, those who works with reporters, use satellite trucks and most importantly produce real news; yes real news because the line that divides real news from most of the stuff done today has become really blurred, or people with their own agenda have been intentionally blurring the line for their financial advantage.

Most of the videos that I see today is not news, those are mini features. News by definition is information that the public need to know. Although I enjoy watching a video of sunsets or amateur roller derby, that’s not news and I doubt that the public NEED to be informed about roller derby and just about everyone know about sunrises and sunsets. I’ve been looking thru many of the videos submitted here on B-roll, fine work but hardly any news.

News is politic, health affairs, the economy, unemployment, the real estate crisis, the war, the oil spill, etc. This is information that the public NEED to know. This is journalism that requires research, investigation, knowledge and experience.
First Stewart, IT IS NOT MY DECISION of what is or isn't news. As I did, just search everywhere what the definition of news is, even the Pointer Institute define news as: Information that the public needs to know it doesn't get any simpler than that, not very difficult to understand.

Of course needs could change with each passing day so is the the news industry responsibility to constantly adapt itself and understand what's important to the public and what's not. In few word prioritize the news reporting based on public needs.

My concerns as part of the viewing public are: the economy, the changes in the health providers system, the unemployment or better yet with 3 kids the future of employment, the ecology and changing climate, changes in real estate economy as my house is a substantial asset, the war of course, and I could go on and on about what I want the news to tell me first. I can assure you that although I immensely enjoy a video about sunsets and sunrises (I do those a lot myself) or about some secretary who does roller blades derby on the side, and I equally enjoy looking at the many videos posted here on b-roll, none of those will provide me with the information that I need at the start of the day.

I will not post any replies here as I'm not involved directly with day to day news. But I think that this is an important topic to get this new forum off he ground.
 

svp

Well-known member
Just my opinion here but I'd define news as presenting information to viewers that they don't already know about, therefore it is NEW to them, in an objective unbiased way where both sides of the information presented are fairly represented and the presenter (journalist) offers no opinion nor does he/she attempt to influence the viewer to take one side over another.

I'd call any story that fits that criteria REAL NEWS.
 

Chicago Dog

Well-known member
I think trying to fit "news" into any kind of specific definition will always fail. There's too many definitions, just like there's too many Emmy categories. Have you seen the list of categories lately for regional Emmy contests? There's at least 40 categories!

News is not defined by a couple criteria; it's more of an archetype.
 

svp

Well-known member
There's too many definitions, just like there's too many Emmy categories. Have you seen the list of categories lately for regional Emmy contests? There's at least 40 categories!
Emmy's aren't what they used to be. Its become a revenue stream, nothing more. The amount of money you pay per entry is ridiculous. Add more categories and shell out more trophies and you bring in more entries and make more money. They're about as worthless as the Telly's. Its just a statue you put up to impress clients who think you must be great because you have an "award". It really isn't much different from going to the local trophy store and having a trophy made with some award engraved on it.

Sorry for the rant and getting off subject but Dog is right, it is ridiculous.
 

Lensmith

Member
Emmy's aren't what they used to be. Its become a revenue stream, nothing more. The amount of money you pay per entry is ridiculous. Add more categories and shell out more trophies and you bring in more entries and make more money. They're about as worthless as the Telly's. Its just a statue you put up to impress clients who think you must be great because you have an "award". It really isn't much different from going to the local trophy store and having a trophy made with some award engraved on it.

Sorry for the rant and getting off subject but Dog is right, it is ridiculous.
AMEN!

Emmy awards aside...

Frankly, I don't see what I consider "news' much any more at local stations.

That's fine. Up to a point. With shorter staffing the idea of "news" becomes more of an effort to fill the black hole with what ever is easiest. it's why you see so much more weather coverage on local stations. No one ever sues you over weather coverage. It's safe.

Frankly, the idea at present is to maintain employment so what is "news" becomes what ever it is they want shot and edited. The definition is out of our hands and beating ourselves over the head to define it...only leads to frustration since we don't have the real power to guide the news coverage efforts to achieve what most of us would consider "real news".

Just my two cents. ;)
 

couryhouse

Well-known member
Regional Emmy (r) Awards are still pretty reasonable

Regional Emmy (r) Awards are still pretty reasonable $75 here in the Rocky Mountain region. National news entries are about 300 I think


Emmy's aren't what they used to be. Its become a revenue stream, nothing more. The amount of money you pay per entry is ridiculous. Add more categories and shell out more trophies and you bring in more entries and make more money. They're about as worthless as the Telly's. Its just a statue you put up to impress clients who think you must be great because you have an "award". It really isn't much different from going to the local trophy store and having a trophy made with some award engraved on it.

Sorry for the rant and getting off subject but Dog is right, it is ridiculous.
 

jumpkutz

Well-known member
These work for me, I guess.

news (nz, nyz) KEY

pl.n.
(used with a sing. verb)

Information about recent events or happenings, especially as reported by newspapers, periodicals, radio, or television.
A presentation of such information, as in a newspaper or on a newscast.
New information of any kind: The requirement was news to him.
Newsworthy material: "a public figure on a scale unimaginable in America; whatever he did was news" (James Atlas).

con·tent 1 (kŏnˈtĕntˌ)

noun
Something contained, as in a receptacle. Often used in the plural: the contents of my desk drawer; the contents of an aerosol can.
a. The individual items or topics that are dealt with in a publication or document. Often used in the plural: a table of contents.
b. The material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or document.
a. The substantive or meaningful part: “The brain is hungry not for method but for content, especially content which contains generalizations that are powerful, precise, and explicit” (Frederick Turner).
b. The meaning or significance of a literary or artistic work.
The proportion of a specified substance: Eggs have a high protein content
 

optic

Member
If news is unfolding history then everything and everyone fits into that category. If news is new essential information the public needs to know than any and everything fits that. A roller derby story could be a push for open-minded awareness, it could be a beckoning call for a child watching for the first time. Granted I'm new to the business but what excites me is that at the end of the day we are story tellers, thats it, and different stories appeal to different people.
 
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