The UPLB perspective gatekeepers: a study of news salection/rejection in a campus paper

Date

10-1993

Degree

Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts

College

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Edelwina C. Legaspi

Abstract

The study describes and analyses the nature, characteristics, and procedures of the selection/rejection of news articles in The UPLB Perspectives.

Data gathering was done from August to September 1993.

News articles published in the previous issues of the Perspective as well as the news values inherent in the news stories were content analyzed to provide the framework for the concretization of the questions and objectives used in the study.

The sample used for the content analysis was taken from the 1991-92 and 1992-93 issues of the Perspective. However, only news articles were consider since these serve as the principal sources of information of UPLB constituents.

Two separate coders evaluated 134 news samples using six news categories and five news values.

Data analysis consisted of frequency counts and percentages.

The content analysis shows that news stories of the government and politics category dominated the issues of the Perspective. These news stories were assigned their respective numbers and tabulated for a given news category. News values were coded using "0" to "1" scale. The former is used if the news item rates low on a given news value and the latter if otherwise. News values like timeliness. Proximity, known principal, and significance were associated with selection.

To substantiate and validate these findings, the former and present news editors and the present editor-in-chief were interviewed.

Other factors that determine and influence selection/reflection are listed below.

The news articles should have sufficient information and all the angles have been considered and exploited to come up with a good story.

News values may influence news selection/rejection but the process is not dependent on them.

To solve space limitation, the least prioritized story or stories in the news line-up are deleted.

The Perspective also recognizes the influence of national media in the selection of topics to be covered.

There are individuals and groups who also try to influence the selection/rejection of news, especially the controversial ones. However the need to let the truth be made known is deep in the policies of the Perspective that they print news stories about controversial issues despite threats.

Not a single editor exercises absolute authority in selecting news topics and articles. The staff is consulted before a decision is made.

A selection/rejection guide was formulated to help media organizations serving a smaller market in the selection/rejection of news.

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

LG 993.5 1993 M3 D66

Document Type

Thesis

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