How the Mass Media Works

So, what makes news? In AUS and most other western countries, Editors usually ask: how many people are affected, and where? Whether the story is happening locally, nationally, or internationally, is also considered.

There are always exceptions to determining news line-ups. But generally, a strong local story will beat a strong national story, and a strong national story will beat a strong international story. For example, the election of a president in the United States , or a prime minister in AUS , would usually take precedence over an earthquake overseas in Chile measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale. Although important to Chile , the earthquake is of little consequence in

AUS . Depending though, on the scale of the earthquake, the international story might be placed second in the line-up.

An armed bank hold-up in Sydney, where gunmen rob an armored car and make off with several million dollars in cash, would beat an outbreak of Cholera in the Sudan . Similarly, the death for example of a famous AUSn sports person, politician, academic, doctor, or author, would take priority over most overseas stories.