The news we get about our world is an important part of our understanding of it. Whether it is in newspapers, online or on TV, the news media can have an impact on our political beliefs and culture. But how does the modern news “ecosystem” of a major American city work, and what role do new media and specialized outlets play?
In a recent study, 63% of the news stories examined were initiated by government officials, led first of all by police. The rest came from the press, and 9% from interest groups. This was a significant change from past research, when the majority of stories were generated by journalists in the field. As the press scales back on original reporting, reproducing other people’s work becomes a bigger part of the news media system.
Newspapers and magazines are often the primary source of the information that makes up a story. But a lot of this information comes from other sources – government agencies, businesses, and non-profit organisations often release press releases that can be used as the basis for a news story. And a lot of this information also comes from wire services and other journalists.
But the most interesting information sources are often ordinary citizens who are willing to speak out on their own behalf. In a democracy, it is essential that we hear from these voices. While it is easy to find out about news organizations’ biases and interests, it can be more difficult to understand how individuals or groups are being portrayed in the news.