Core Textbook Definition (Section 6.1)
"We can safely define news as a development that has happened in the past 24 hours which was not known outside and which is of wide interest to the people and that which generates curiosity among listeners."
Why is a newspaper called a newspaper? The textbook begins with this fundamental question: Because it contains news. In everyday life, news represents a report of a current event, information about something that has just happened or will happen very soon, and recent happenings conveyed through mass media.
The Derivation of the Word 'NEWS'
The textbook highlights that the letters in the word 'NEWS' are derived from the four cardinal directions:
N — North & E — East
Signifying that news originates from the northern and eastern frontiers of human society.
W — West & S — South
Signifying that news originates across the western and southern boundaries of the globe.
Universal Origin of News
This symbolic derivation demonstrates that news can come from anywhere. It is not confined to any single territory, locale, or medium.
The Four Primary Media Sources of News
Section 6.0 explicitly identifies four distinct media channels through which citizens access news daily:
- Radio: Where you can hear news broadcasts.
- Television: Where you can view news bulletins and live developments.
- Newspaper: Where you can read printed reports of the previous day's events.
- Internet: Where you can surf digital networks on a computer for immediate updates.
John Bogart's Maxim and the Prominence Nuance
The chapter references the famous comment by John Bogart that became synonymous with news in journalistic folklore:
John Bogart's Classic Aphorism
"When a dog bites a man, that is not news, because it happens so often. But if a man bites a dog, that is news."
The Textbook's Crucial Examination Nuance: While Bogart emphasizes bizarre or unusual events, the textbook clarifies that an ordinary event can instantly become lead news under specific circumstances: "Suppose a dog bites a famous filmstar, it definitely makes big news." Thus, the prominence of the person involved elevates an otherwise routine happening into a major news story.
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Textbook Illustrations of Personal Relevance and Public Curiosity
1. The Punjab Train Mishap (14 December 2004): You hear on the radio that 34 people died in a head-on collision between the Jammu Tawi Ahmedabad Express and the Jalandhar-Pathankot DMU at Mansar in Hoshiarpur district. At first, it is a routine distant tragedy. But when you hear that passengers in the affected compartment are from your own village, you become alert, anxious, and desperate to know if they are safe.
2. Central Budget Proposal: You may not be connected to parliamentary budget debates, but when the Finance Minister announces a price hike on petroleum products or cooking gas cylinders, it directly affects your household budget, making it immediate news for you.
3. Assembly Election Vote Counting: When votes are counted in your constituency, you eagerly track the lead positions to know who has won the seat without delay.
Why This Concept Matters for Written Exams: Direct questions require defining news using the 24-hour benchmark, naming the 4 media sources, stating what each letter of N-E-W-S represents, and explaining why a dog biting a filmstar is news while a dog biting an ordinary person is not.
The Transformation Principle (Section 6.2)
"Information is different from news. News should give something new to the readers, viewers or listeners. Information becomes news when news value is added to it."
A frequent point of confusion in mass communication is treating news and raw information as identical. The textbook clarifies that facts, timetables, and static data remain pure information until fresh developments, revisions, or sudden impacts convert them into news.
Three Concrete Everyday Textbook Transformations
1. Railway Timetable
Information: The display board at a railway station listing standard train arrival and departure times.
Becomes News When: A new train timetable is issued by the railways replacing the existing one with changes in timings.
2. Income Tax Slabs
Information: The existing tables or slabs specifying current income tax rates.
Becomes News When: The government officially announces a policy decision to increase or lower the tax rates.
3. Weather Data
Information: Routine daily temperature or rainfall figures published in standard newspaper columns.
Becomes News When: Sudden changes occur, heavy downpours cause floods, or prolonged absence of rain leads to drought.
Intext Question Reference: The textbook explicitly tests this distinction: "Consumer Price Index is _______ (news, information)." The verified textbook answer is information.
The 5 Ws and 1 H: The Six Essential Questions of a Perfect News Item
Section 6.3 states: "It is generally said that if a news report provides answers to six questions, then it is a perfect news item." If any of these six questions remain unanswered, the news report is incomplete:
1. When?
The exact time, day, or date when the event or development occurred.
2. Where?
The precise geographical venue, city, or locality of the happening.
3. What?
The core incident, action, or full story of what took place.
4. Why?
The motive, underlying cause, or reason behind the occurrence.
5. Who?
The individuals, victims, officials, or perpetrators involved.
6. How?
The manner, operational mechanism, or sequence through which the event happened.
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Textbook Case Study: The Rohini Kidnapping Report (Vipul Kansal Case)
The textbook demonstrates the 5 Ws and 1 H formula using the report "A tragic end for kidnapped Delhi child":
• Who: Vipul Kansal, a 10-year-old Class IV student of G.D. Goenka Public School in Rohini, and his kidnapper.
• When: Monday afternoon, soon after being dropped near his house by the school van.
• Where: Kidnapped near Neel Kanth Society in Rohini, Delhi; body recovered at Sonepat in Haryana.
• What: Kidnapped for a ransom of Rs. 1.5 crore and tragically strangled to death.
• Why: Kidnapper demanded Rs. 1.5 crore, but panicked ("developed cold feet") upon finding the boy unconscious in his car boot.
• How: Strangled in the boot of the car; police recovered the body in Sonepat and arrested the kidnapper.
Why This Concept Matters for Written Exams: In public examinations, questions require differentiating news from information using textbook examples (tax slabs, train timetable, CPI) and breaking down a given news story into the 5 Ws and 1 H.
The Editorial Standard (Section 6.4)
"Journalists are the best judges about what is news and what is not. They take this decision based on certain news values."
An event does not automatically become news simply because it occurred. Journalists evaluate occurrences against ten established news values to determine whether an item merits publication or broadcast:
1. Timeliness (Recency)
News is fundamentally something new. An incident that occurred one month back cannot make news for today's newspaper. The textbook stresses that timeliness varies from publication to publication:
- Daily Newspaper: Events that occurred on the previous day constitute news.
- Weekly Periodical: Significant events of the previous one week make news.
- 24-Hour Television News Channel: Every second is a deadline; they can break developing stories at any moment.
2. Impact (Number of People Affected)
The impact of an event decides its newsworthiness. Textbook Illustration: When tsunami waves struck several coastal parts of India (killing over 1,000 in Tamil Nadu, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Chennai, and Guntur, shutting down the Kalpakkam nuclear power station, and stranding 500 tourists at Kanyakumari), it affected thousands and became major lead news worldwide. Conversely, if a cyclone kills 20 people in Bangladesh, it has less global impact. When dengue fever affects 100 people in Delhi, it makes headlines nationwide because the risk is widespread and citizens everywhere become alert.
3. Proximity (Geographical Closeness)
Proximity decides the psychological relevance of news. Textbook Illustration: Reading that "Bird flu is spreading and hundreds of chicken are dying in England" evokes curiosity but no personal anxiety. But when bird flu spreads to Cooch Behar and Hooghly in West Bengal (requiring the culling of 3 lakh chickens daily by 600 teams), Indian readers become immediately alert because the danger is physically close. Similarly, an airplane crash in Peru receives limited coverage in India, but an air crash inside India becomes top headlines everywhere.
4. Controversy (Conflict and Tension)
People are naturally drawn to controversies, arguments, disputes, and charges/counter-charges. Textbook Illustrations: The armed conflict between India and Pakistan in Kargil became major news across the globe. Controversies between the Indian and Australian cricket teams dominated sports headlines. When terrorists crashed airplanes into the World Trade Centre (WTC) in New York, it was lead news worldwide.
5. Prominence (VIP Involvement)
If a prominent personality is involved in an incident, it becomes news. Textbook Illustration: If an ordinary commuter's car breaks down and he waits ten minutes on the roadside, no newspaper reports it. But if the Prime Minister's motorcade is stopped for five minutes due to a car breakdown, it becomes instant breaking news. An ordinary citizen visiting Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi goes unnoticed, but when the President of the United States visits Rajghat, it makes major headlines. Similarly, Pope Benedict XVI visiting Turkey (his first trip to a Muslim country) made international headlines.
6. Currency (Current Public Focus)
Currency refers to issues or events currently occupying public attention. Textbook Illustrations: If the Olympic Games are hosted in India, it remains major daily news because everybody is interested in it. When SAARC leaders meet in New Delhi to formulate collective action plans, it is current news. Likewise, when extreme cold weather and dense fog disrupt air, rail, and road traffic continuously for a week, it commands persistent currency.
7. Oddity (The Unusual and Bizarre)
Unusual, unexpected, and extraordinary events generate intense public curiosity and are often featured in newspaper "box items". Textbook Illustrations: A man pulling a motor car with his hair; a woman giving birth to triplets; a vocalist entering the Guinness Book of Records by singing non-stop for 48 hours; a painting by a famous artist auctioned for an astronomical price; and a 900-year-old tamarind tree planted during Rajendra Chola's reign at Nallur village in Devanahalli taluk (Bangalore Rural) declared a bio-heritage site after developing uncharacteristic prop roots and root suckers like a banyan tree.
8. Emotion (Human Interest Stories)
Stories evoking deep human sympathy, warmth, or tears make strong news items. Textbook Illustrations: A schoolboy kidnapped by mischief-makers is rescued by police after a two-week search, and his reunion with his parents in an emotionally surcharged atmosphere is published with a photograph. A young Pakistani girl advised to undergo urgent heart surgery whose parents cannot afford it receives assistance from the Rotary Club of Delhi East under their "Gift of Life" scheme, undergoes successful surgery in India, and shares an emotional farewell with the media.
9. Usefulness (Public Utility and Aid)
News reports that directly guide or assist citizens. Textbook Illustrations: Weather forecasters warning fishermen not to venture into rough seas; publishing emergency telephone numbers for police stations, hospitals, and ambulance services; public appeals by relatives for blood donors for critically ill patients; and media relief funds raising contributions for victims of disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis.
10. Educational Value (Civic Knowledge Guidance)
Information that builds civic knowledge, career awareness, and intellectual capacity. Textbook Illustration: Dedicated weekly newspaper columns advising students on educational courses, career options, vocational paths, and admissions for higher studies.
Why This Concept Matters for Written Exams: Students must be able to list at least five news values, explain how deadlines differ between dailies, weeklies, and 24-hr TV channels, and cite authentic textbook examples for each value (e.g., Nallur tamarind tree for oddity, Gift of Life for emotion).
Dual Classification System (Section 6.5)
"We can categorise news into four different geographical slots, and further classify it as hard news and soft news."
To organize content systematically for readers, newspapers categorize news across two primary dimensions: geographical reach and substantive nature (hard vs. soft), alongside beat divisions such as politics, sports, economy, entertainment, and crime.
Part A: Classification by Geographical Reach
The textbook illustrates geographical categorization using four distinct sample headlines:
1. International News
Textbook Headline: "Campaign for U.S. presidential elections begins."
Covers developments, elections, diplomatic summits, and events taking place beyond national borders.
2. National News
Textbook Headline: "The Prime Minister of India to address the nation tonight."
Deals with central government decisions, nationwide governance, and events of countrywide significance.
3. Regional News
Textbook Headline: "The State Government declares a holiday tomorrow."
Concerns events, executive orders, and issues spanning a specific state or geographical region.
4. Local News
Textbook Headline: "House owner killed by servant."
Focuses on city affairs, municipal developments, and neighborhood crime incidents.
Part B: Hard News versus Soft News
Hard News
Nature: Serious, fact-driven, timely reports covering governance, national conflicts, politics, international diplomacy, and the economy.
Textbook Examples:
• "India and Pakistan to have bilateral talks on the Kashmir issue."
• The Prime Minister making a formal statement in Parliament regarding the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Soft News
Nature: Human-interest, lifestyle, entertainment, or heart-warming stories designed to evoke emotion, empathy, or leisure interest.
Textbook Examples:
• The lavish wedding celebration of a popular film star.
• A popular cricketer visiting an orphanage and eating lunch alongside the young inmates.
Why This Concept Matters for Written Exams: Exam questions regularly ask candidates to categorize sample headlines into international, national, regional, or local slots, and provide contrasting examples of hard and soft news.
The Supreme Journalistic Virtue (Section 6.6)
"Credibility of news is the most important virtue for any publication or channel or radio service. A reader trusts a newspaper mainly because of its credibility."
Journalists do not simply gather information; they must verify it before printing. This verification process is termed cross-checking. Cross-checking ensures that published stories adhere to the triad of professional journalistic standards:
1. Objectivity (Reporting Without Bias)
Objectivity means presenting the unvarnished facts without distortion. While journalists work under heavy deadline pressure and face potential personal, political, or corporate influences, they must set aside prejudices and report events objectively.
2. Fairness (Balance & Hearing Both Sides)
Every story has two sides. A journalist must never take sides or play judge. If an article contains allegations against an individual or institution, the reporter must seek their version before publishing so that the report remains balanced.
3. Credibility (The Bedrock of Trust)
If a publication persistently prints non-credible, unfair, or biased stories, readers will ultimately reject it. When false news is published, a next-day correction cannot undo the damage, as many readers may never see it, permanently tarnishing the publication's reputation.
News as a Powerful Tool: Negative, Positive, and Development News
News is not a passive narrative; it actively shapes societal mood, communal harmony, and public welfare:
Negative News
Reports of crime, violence, and communal tension.
Textbook Examples: An 8th standard schoolboy in Gurgaon killing a classmate by shooting; a communal clash in a small town resulting in two deaths. The textbook warns that such reports can provoke tension in other parts of the country.
Positive News
Stories highlighting civic cooperation, voluntary youth initiatives, and community upliftment.
Textbook Examples: School students visiting a nearby village to offer voluntary road-building service; a feature on an NGO dedicated to improving the lives of street children.
Development News
News functioning as an active instrument for social progress and empowerment.
Textbook Example: "Government to give fee concession to all students up to graduation." This directly enhances educational opportunities for millions of disadvantaged students.
Why This Concept Matters for Written Exams: Terminal exercises require explaining why credibility is the most important virtue, distinguishing between positive, negative, and development news, and discussing the risks of publishing unverified reports.