Trusting News

Missouri Press Association Joy Mayer, Executive Director, shares that when journalists ask the public for feedback, one question just about always appears on the list in some form: How do you decide what to cover? Where do reporters find ideas? What's news, anyway? 
It's a topic journalists don't talk about much. In part, that is because identifying what is and is not "news" feels squishy (we know it when we see it!). It is not like there is a rubric we fill out, and anything above a certain score turns into a story. We are also often inconsistent in our decision-making, or it may be that the journalists are not aware of the storyline or familiar with it. How can someone cover an event if they are unaware of it even happening? 
But we do not pull back the curtain on the nuts and bolts of story ideas, so it only makes sense that people might have questions. Often, we're not explaining: How can people submit tips, and what kinds of tips are we most interested in? What questions are we asking about the ideas we consider? Who makes coverage decisions? 
You know what else we take for granted and do not discuss? Why some things AREN'T news. Newsrooms get so many press releases, and the senders often think of them like story tips. But most press releases do not turn into stories, of course. It also depends on the availability of the reporter. So why aren't we talking more about what we are looking for? 
"Monroe-Ralls looks for articles that our subscribers can relate to, such as being recognized for outstanding service or action, events that most of the community attends, annual events such as the county fair, parades, festivals, etc. Anything in between is considered and always investigated. Rather, the article is informational, political, and/or bios issues, they are considered to see if it will benefit our subscribers. Do not be afraid to reach out with article topics with any information that may be needed. Email robingregg@monroecountyappeal.com, reach out on Facebook, or call Robin."