News values are the qualities editors and journalists use to judge whether an event is worth covering, such as timeliness, proximity, prominence, impact, conflict and human interest. Understanding them helps a press release writer explain why a story matters, not just that it happened.
Journalism researchers have studied why some events become news and others do not. Wikipedia credits Galtung and Ruge's 1965 study with identifying a system of factors describing newsworthy events, including timeliness, proximity or familiarity, negativity, conflict, unexpectedness, clarity, personalization, meaningfulness to the audience, the prominence of those involved, and scale. A later study by Harcup and O'Neill in 2001 updated the list and named prominence directly.
For a press release, news values are a practical filter. Before writing, ask which of these qualities your story actually has: is it timely, does it affect people nearby, does it involve someone well known, is the outcome large or surprising, does it resolve a real tension, or does it have a clear human angle. A release with none of these is unlikely to be picked up, no matter how well it is written.
News values also explain why the same announcement can be framed differently for different outlets. A local paper cares about proximity; a trade publication cares about impact within its industry; a general interest outlet may need a human angle. Matching the framing to the outlet's priorities, without changing the facts, increases the odds of coverage.
How to: 1) List the facts of your announcement. 2) Check each fact against timeliness, proximity, prominence, impact, conflict, novelty and human interest. 3) Lead with whichever value is strongest for the outlet you are pitching. 4) If none apply, consider whether the story is genuinely ready to pitch, or needs a stronger angle first.
QUESTIONS
What are news values?
They are the qualities that make an event newsworthy to editors and audiences, such as timeliness, proximity, prominence, impact, conflict, novelty and human interest. Journalism researchers, notably Galtung and Ruge in 1965, first catalogued them systematically.
How do news values help with a press release?
They help you judge, before you write, whether a story is likely to be covered, and which angle to lead with for a given outlet. A release built around a genuine news value performs better than one built around company pride.
Is negativity really a news value?
Studies of news selection, including Galtung and Ruge's original framework, do identify negativity as a factor that increases coverage. That does not mean good news cannot be covered, only that outlets weigh these factors when many stories compete for space.
Do news values apply to trade press as well as general media?
Yes, though the weighting differs. A trade outlet cares most about impact within its industry and expertise, while a general outlet may weigh human interest or prominence more heavily. Tailor the framing to the audience without changing the facts.
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