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One of the most important insights in the sociology of the media is that news is not a neutral reflection of reality but a social construction. Events do not become "news" automatically. Rather, journalists, editors, and media organisations select, prioritise, and frame events according to a complex set of organisational routines, professional values, commercial pressures, and ideological assumptions. Understanding how news is constructed is essential for understanding how the media shapes public knowledge and political debate.
Key Definition: The social construction of news refers to the process by which certain events are selected, prioritised, and framed as newsworthy while others are ignored, marginalised, or presented in particular ways that reflect the values and interests of media organisations.
The most influential study of news selection criteria was conducted by the Norwegian researchers Johan Galtung and Marie Ruge (1965). Analysing the coverage of international crises in Norwegian newspapers, they identified a set of news values — criteria that determine which events are most likely to be selected as news.
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