“(*Enter Very Young Reporter; comes down to city desk with air of excitement.*) “Very Young Reporter (*considerably impressed*): ‘Big story. Three dagoes killed by that boiler explosion!’ “The City Editor (*reading copy. Doesn’t look up*): ‘Ten lines.’ (*Continues reading copy.*) “Very Young Reporter (*looks surprised and hurt. Crosses over to reporter’s table. Then turns back to city desk. Casual conversational tone*): ‘By the way. Funny thing. There was a baby carriage within fifty feet of the explosion, but it wasn’t upset.’ “The City Editor (*looks up with professional interest*): ‘That’s worth a dozen dead dagoes. Write a half column.’ “(*Very Young Reporter looks still more surprised, perplexed. Suddenly the idea dawns upon him. He crosses over to table, sits down, writes.*)
“Both saw news; but the editor went further than the reporter. For cases of Italians killed by a boiler explosion are so common as to approach the commonplace; but a freak of explosive chemistry which annihilates a strong man and does not disturb a baby departs from it widely.”
Here again it is clear that Mr. Irwin has merely emphasized one of the features generally to be found in what we call news, without, however, offering us a complete or exclusive definition of news.
Analyzing further within his general rule that news is a departure from the established order, Mr. Irwin goes on to point out certain outstanding factors which enhance or create news value. I cite them here because all of them are unquestionably sound. On the other hand, analysis shows that some of them are directly contradictory to his main principle that only the departure from the established order is news. In Mr. Irwin’s opinion, the four outstanding factors making for the creation or enhancement of news value are the following:6