ABSTRACT
A good news item, whether in the newspaper or on television, maximizes both information and drama. Although news values and the tradition of objectivity emphasize the information content of the daily news, there is an equally strong tradition in journalism that prizes the dramatic and attention-maintaining quality—some would even say the entertainment value—of each news item. As Robert Darnton, Herbert Gans, and Laphara have pointed out, there is a substantial inventory of specific themes and generic stories to guide the framing of today's news. Not every news item succeeds in framing its information in a dramatic cloak. Although there are some minor differences in style and in the operating procedures dictated by the nature of the medium employed to reach a mass audience, both newspapers and television assemble a daily news report composed of news stories. The news emphasizes the facts that advance the story.
