CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Introduction
News selection has always been an integral part of communication research. While it seems to be beyond dispute that selection has to take place in order to reduce the complexity of the process of collecting and assembling of news for distribution, ―the criteria for the process are subject of a continuing debate‖ (Eilders, 1996: 1). One of the research traditions concerned with the problem of news selection is news value research. Media and communication scholars and practitioners concede that the news stories which are eventually broadcast or published go through a gatekeeping process during which journalists, copy readers and editors assess their (the news stories‘) newsworthiness using news values. During this process, Shoemaker (1991: 2) says that the news gates, which are different decision-making points in a communication channel, open, close or are ajar for certain news items.