Practical constraints

• Practical constrains on the news

  News is presented as factual and objective > reporting of what's happening that day

  • strict deadlines and constraints influence what appears as news
• Time constraints

  Most easily available stories make it onto TV

  • editors and journalists have contacts they use > limited number of viewpoints are used
  • news organisations have a news diary of regular events > can plan coverage of regular events in advance > based on ethnocentric culture, follow Christian holidays
• Technical constraints

  Top stories come from where journalists can bring technical equipment easily

  • a story will rise/fall in significance partly on how easy it is to report it > urban areas are easier to report than rural
• Money constraints

  News organizations prioritize stories from areas with reporters or contracts as they're cheaper to produce

  • many news organisations can't afford to have reporters > buy stories from other news agencies > agencies have influence over what becomes news
• Competition

  Editors pick stories they believe will make their newspaper popular > important to sell more than rival

  • news stories can be sensationalised > celebrity gossip often popular > response to what individuals want
• Press release

  Celebrities / politicians issue press releases > gives story to news room > more likely to be used > saves time and money
• Manufactured news

  Stories may have to shrink to fit the space available > could be on first page one day then pushed to the back next day

  • Cohen and Young (pluralists) = news is manufactured not discovered
• Pluralists

  Practical constraints are more significant in influencing the news than ideological bias, values of journalists are common values in society
• Marxists

  Ideological influences are more important, practical constraints can't be separated from ideology > journalists values are part of dominant ruling class ideology