The News as a Media Form: News Values, Conventions and Framing

Any four: timeliness, proximity, impact, conflict, prominence, human interest, novelty.

Who, what, when, where, why (and sometimes how).

So readers get the most important facts first, even if they stop early, and editors can cut from the bottom to fit space.

That council acted harshly or unfairly toward skaters.

The reason: the ice was unsafe after warm weather.

Any three: headline word choice, what comes first, which sources are quoted, photo choice and cropping, caption, placement.

Crop A shows 2, crop B shows 10; there were 12 people in total.

The line naming who wrote the story.

Proximity and human interest.

Saying who said a quotation or provided information.

Yes.

Yes, it matches the facts (though it frames them from the city's perspective).

The first source quoted sets the frame; readers often give it the most weight. Quoting officials first suggests their view is the main one; quoting affected residents first centres their experience.

Proximity: the story matters locally but has little impact on the national audience.

The caption anchors the photo to suggest the rink is empty because of council, but at 7 a.m. it might always be empty: a misleading context.

Sample: Council Votes to Close Riverside Rink Early After Warm Spell.

So readers know whether they're reading reporting, someone's argument, or paid content, and can judge it accordingly.

Look for: specific quotations, a source list, photo analysis, and a comparison that names each frame, implied message and perspective, plus what is missing from both.

Look for: a neutral headline, a lead with 5 Ws including the safety reason, quotations from both city staff and a parent, background lower down (for example the rink's usual closing date), and no loaded words.

Benefit: more voices, including people directly affected and communities often ignored by mainstream outlets, and faster updates. Risk: no editorial checks, so misinformation and unlabelled opinion spread easily, and algorithms may show only frames you already agree with. A strong answer weighs both.