What Is News And Why Do We Report It?

A journo mate of mine this week reminded us of a statement from George Orwell about news and journalism: Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed, everything else is public relations.

So, here we are again with a conundrum today about what is newsworthy and what is not.

As I scan my news sources and agencies each day to find the kind of issues to discuss with you I find plenty of stories about “reality” TV which are obviously to be placed in the public relations column, and some that are a little more meaty.

Today comes a story about a leaked report into a small group of footballers that was commissioned by a retired judge in 2008 and labelled not to be released unless a very high authority gave the OK.

Someone, somewhere and perhaps without said authority handed the report to a Melbourne journalist.

There is really very little in the report that was not already known, so why was it leaked and then published around the country?

I have no idea.

The fact remains though that the very existence of the report is newsworthy, whether we like it or not.

Today I have read dozens of comments about “gutter journalism” and I have been accused of rehashing an old story.

No, it is reporting of a new story, albeit about a subject that has been flogged almost to death.

One of the focal points of the entire scenario has been in the news again recently, sadly for the most heartbreaking of situations but because he was elevated to a status just short of canonisation by his fans, we are accused of hounding him when there is a problem.

We as consumers cannot have it both ways.

As journos, reporters, observers or whatever the job description is, we relay stories, and sometimes they ain’t pretty.

If you want to ask why has there been such a focus on this whole tawdry tale, maybe you need to find a mirror.