Journalists use six factors to determine if a story is “newsworthy.”
Timeliness - Current events and information topics are always worth sharing because they recently happened. We call it “news” because it is new.
Proximity - People want to know what is happening near them because it hits close to home.
Conflict and Controversy - When a disagreement or violence occurs, people want to know about it.
Significance - When a story impacts many people, it is critical to cover it.
Prominence - If there is news about a famous person, such as a celebrity or government official, it is typically a newsworthy story to the viewers.
Human Interest - As humans, we are interested in other human stories. From achieving a significant goal, overcoming a crisis, or being unique, these types of stories are newsworthy to viewers.
A story will often encompass multiple factors, making it even more newsworthy to a viewer.