The Role of News Factors in News Selection: A Theoretical Reconsideration

An overview of American and European research on the concept of news factors in news selection shows some theoretical and methodological problems, which can be reduced to four dimensions. First, it is discussed whether an apolitical model of news selection should be supplemented by a functional perspective. Second, the epistemological question of defining `an event' and its consequences for the concept of news factors are considered. Third, the validity of the theory is examined by a closer look at the operation of independent and dependent variables in various empirical studies. Fourth, the degree of universality of the concept of news factors is analysed.

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