When 'no-one dies' is big news
No-one died when an Airbus A320 crashed into the Hudson river, New York, last week. So why was it such big news?
We get used to stories where the number of people who die determines whether or not they make the front page. It's a bigger story if 1000 die than if only 10 die —for some people that is beginning and end of judging news value. Yet US Airways Flight 1549 made the front page even though no-one died.
All sorts of other things drive news value. In this case, the visual nature of the story was important. Even without the pictures, a plane landing on water is a visual story. The reader can imagine the great plume of water as the plane hits and that makes the story compelling.
It is also dramatic. Most of us have been on a plane when that cabin crew demonstrates the life jackets and so we have a picture what the passengers must have gone through. It is a story most readers will relate to.
This story was a visual gift. But with any story it is worth thinking about the value of things we can picture instantly, and we can relate to instantly.
We get used to stories where the number of people who die determines whether or not they make the front page. It's a bigger story if 1000 die than if only 10 die —for some people that is beginning and end of judging news value. Yet US Airways Flight 1549 made the front page even though no-one died.
All sorts of other things drive news value. In this case, the visual nature of the story was important. Even without the pictures, a plane landing on water is a visual story. The reader can imagine the great plume of water as the plane hits and that makes the story compelling.
It is also dramatic. Most of us have been on a plane when that cabin crew demonstrates the life jackets and so we have a picture what the passengers must have gone through. It is a story most readers will relate to.
This story was a visual gift. But with any story it is worth thinking about the value of things we can picture instantly, and we can relate to instantly.
Labels: Journalism, Writing tips
1 Comments:
Here is another (older) story where no-one dies but the visual is important:
Dog survives cliff plunge
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