Guest Lecture- Why news is the way it is.

1. It is newsworthy.

In order to be newsworthy it has to be new. People look to the news the find out what is new that day. If a news source reports about something everyone else reported on the day before it is deemed unimportant and bad journalism.

For example: Last spring, it was very important for people reading religion news to have updates on the pope. They wanted to know what it means when a pope resigns, what happens next, who could be the next pope, and who that next pope is. However, today doing that same story isn’t newsworthy because it isn’t happening now. Now a good story would be about how Massachusetts supreme court is discussing the pledge of allegiance because it is going on currently.

2. Why do people care?

Audience is key. People care when it has to do with them. As a journalist, you have to know who your audience is and what they like to read. If there is something happening in another state or city does it make a difference to them? Sometimes national stories is important to people and sometimes they aren’t. Knowing what your audience deems as important is key to being a good journalist.

For example: A story about churches in North Carolina are not important to the people of Columbia, Mo. However, a story about faith leaders helping with the movement for better wages is something people in Columbia, Mo. would be interested in because it has to do with their faith leaders and their community.

3. It deals with religion.

I know this sounds obvious because this is about religion and journalism. But sometimes it is easy to get sidetracked on a story and write about aspects not dealing with religion. If your topic is suppose to be on religion- stay on track. Your readers will thank you!

For example: I was writing a story about a summer camp that helps kids with weight loss. The religion aspect was that even though these kids are far away from home they still come together and hold their own faith service. When I went to the camp I found out so much information about obesity and weight loss that when I began to write I realized I was focusing on that more than the religion. That wasn’t what I was suppose to be writing about. I had to take a step back and rework my story so that my readers (that were reading it for the religion aspect) still had interest.

Students are starting to find their seats before class starts in J1000, where I lectured on Friday.

  

  These are three out of the four speakers (including me) that lectured on Friday in J1000.