Figure 2-1.—Analyzing news elements.
SPOT AND CREATED NEWS
Most Navy news (and all other news as well) can be
classified as either spot news or created news.
Spot news just happens. A ship runs aground. A
plane crashes. A heroic rescue takes place in a
storm-tossed sea. These are just a few examples. Your
job is to provide a full account of a spot news story as
soon as possible — even in cases where the general
effect is unfavorable to the Navy.
Created news is generally concerned with
something the Navy has done or plans to do which the
public should know about. Examples include air shows,
command public visitation, change of command,
unveiling new ships, planes or weapons, construction
programs, special achievements, ship arrivals and many
of the other daily events of Navy life. Your job is to bring
the information to the attention of news media, usually
through a Navy news release.
CLASSES OF NEWS STORIES
Most Navy news stories fall into four main
categories—hard news, feature, sports and social. They
are described in the following text.
Hard News
It usually concerns a news item involving or affecting
the readers, listeners or viewers. The hard news story
has usually taken place since a previous issue of a
newspaper or a radio or television newscast. Much of
the material found in daily papers (especially front-page
items) or newscasts are in the hard news category.
The hard news story is designed primarily to inform.
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