We often wonder why some things make the news and others do not.  Typically, a reporter takes several things into consideration in deciding what and what not to cover:

Reach  (How many people does the story touch?)

Timeliness  (Is it happening now, or is about to happen?)

Uniqueness  (Is it the first, the biggest, the only?)

Relevance  (What does it mean to me?)

Celebrity  (Does it involve someone I ìknow?î)

The medium the journalist is using.  For example, print stories are usually more detailed than broadcast stories. For that reason, complex stories do not play well on television.  However, stories involving emotion, action or other compelling images are better suited for television.

The audience the journalist serves.  Local media outlets are more interested in stories with local interest than they are in stories of national interest.  A magazine or cable television channel that targets a specific demographic or psychographic group will limit coverage to matters of interest to that narrowly defined audience.

The purpose the journalist wants to serve.  While traditional journalists tend to be unbiased observers, there are those that may want to persuade the audience toward a particular point of view.  This can be especially true when dealing with international journalists that come from different reporting cultures and traditions.