The Arvada enterprise., 1921-11-24
WHAT MAKES A
NEWS STORY?
ONLY THE UNUSUAL - PLAYED
UP IN THE METRoPoII.
TAN PAPERS.

Is going ON In the world through mere.
" scanning the metropolitan daily
paper headlines, or by reading such
stories as are given most prominence
IN these papers. They read OF crime,
suffering, unemployment, and they gain
the impression these things are gen
eral-but they are not
Newspapers play up as news only
'fit which Is uncommon and unusual.
There Is no news value In that which
in common and usual. There Ia no
news value, for instance, In the state
lnent that out of every 10000 persons
IN the land Of all stations and degrees,
about ten are found dishonest. There
is no news In the statement that out
OF 10000 Industrial corporations such
as banking institutions, packing COM
panles, transportation systems aud
public utilities. one dishonesty man
aged corporation will be found.
And No the people never read stories
of this kind in the daily papers. Cases
Ut honesty, fairness, squnreness and
justice are not unusual or uncommon.
What 10 Played Up.
But let one person show his dishon-
est trait, for instance, let banker
steal the customers money und run
away to Mexico, and 1t immediately
because 1t is so unusual for IL banker
20 do such II thing-a big news story
and Is played up in grent headlines
by the newspapers. Let one corpora
tion be found dealing unfairly with the
public observation-disclosures 1t Is 10
unusual for Il corporation to SO deal
becomes Il big news story and Is played
up by the papers with plenty of red
ink.
Take the smnller communities for
instance. 1t Is not news to say, John
Smith remained ut home last week."
but 1t becomes news item when 1t
can be said, "JOhn Smith made bust.
ness trip to Denver last week." be-
ause this is out Of the ordinary.
The people get their ideas that
things which ARE unusual and most un-
common are usual and common be-
cause they read only Of the unusual
and uncommon In the papers. II IL
corporation has been found dealing un.
fairly. In the minds Of the public, ut
once all corporations become prof.
teers." term coined recently and Of
ten used by news writer's because, in
their language, 1t has the pep and
the kick"
Honesty 10 cemmoW.
The fact Of the matter IL the great
majority Of people, business firms. cor
porations and all others are honest.
fair and just. They are not seeking
to take advantage Of their fellowman
In any business dealing. And this be-
ing true-this being the common aud
usual-when one demrts from that
practice, bcing sO unusual and 10 un.
common, 1t ut once becomes a big
news story and IL given great promi-
nence under Y scare head with much
red Ink.
People must not draw their cOnclu-
xiou from news stories given promi-
nence. As rule. when such stories
appear they are hastily prepared with.
out all the facts In the case. Later
when the facts develop It IL found
that even the unusual that was sup
posed to exist did not exist. that the
case was not half as bad ~ painted.
but no correction Is made-there II
NO news value In correction.
A man can walk Into the district at.
torney's office and swear to a COM
plaint that neighbOr had assaulted
him. II the man making the complaint
and the man against whom the com.
plaint Is made are prominent 10 much
bigger the stOry-the news value. 1t
is played mp big. II 1t IL found on in
vestlgnuOn the facts that no assault
whatever took place, that the com.
plaint was matter Of spite work, but
the fact that the original story WAS un.
fnir TO the men arrested. is given no
prominence because II Is not out Of the
ordinary.
Why Not Learn Faets.
Stories are constantly being told
about this or that business firm, bank,
railroad company. utility or some other
form of business. II probably has not
the slightest foundation In fact. but
the one who hears 1t gets the unusual
and uncommon, he hurries to pass on
the news" To s0ine one else md in
the passing always enlarges 1t. The
harm done In the end Gun not be estl.
mated.
Those who gnin their impression
through adopting suggestions con.
tanned In the unusual and uncommon
news story, should remember. for their
own benefit, first. that probably not
half Of It ~ true; second. even II that
half II true 1t IN not ~ painted; and
:hlrd. the fact that II is n news story
A.. InAS ..Sts1opeSs TINT II II Nhullv