1What is online journalism? - Ayo Menulis FISIP UAJY

32 Journalism Online
News values
One factor in the decision making is the individual journalist’s set
of values and beliefs. Defining news value, despite the best efforts
of the most neutral journalist, is a subjective process. It is shaped
by the journalist’s education, upbringing, location, environment,
beliefs and, if they have any, morality.
A second factor is the organizational structure of most
newsrooms. News gathering is usually a team effort. To operate
effectively, the team needs a shared set of values for defining
and measuring newsworthiness. There is constant debate in
every newsroom about what is the strongest story of that
minute, that hour, that day. However, this debate takes place
within the context of agreed criteria. The argument is whether
the apple is a Granny Smith or a Golden Delicious. They all
know it’s not a peach.
This encourages a dominant news agenda to emerge, which
becomes rigid under the repetitive pressures of daily news
gathering. Reflection can give way to automation in the face of the
increased demands and reduced resources, which are a feature of
modern newsrooms.
David Randall (1999) talks of a journalistic culture within news
organizations that extends even beyond dominant news agendas
to influence all levels of activity.
This culture is like a trade secret handed down from master
to apprentice – a constantly evolving (or degenerating)
received professional wisdom. It sets what editors and their
executives regard as a good story or dismiss as ‘boring’,
and determines the subjects they think as ‘sexy’ and those
that are not. It also creates the moral atmosphere of a
paper and is thus far more responsible for the ethics
that are in daily use on a paper than any theoretical
commandments.
This culture determines what is admired in journalists and
desired in their work. It has something to do with news value,
but is better characterized as ‘news instinct’. This can either
be a genuine ability to see meaning and interest in what