Chapter 1: What Is News? — CampusJourn
Chapter 1

What is News?

Not everything that happens is worth reporting. Find out what makes a story truly newsworthy.

🎯 Chapter Objective: By the end of this chapter, you will be able to identify whether an event is news by checking if it is timely and has at least one more news element.
Filipino elementary students gathered around a school bulletin board reading the latest school news
📖 Introduction

Wait — Is That Really News?

Think about your day so far.

You woke up. You ate breakfast. You fixed your bag.

Normal stuff, right?

Now imagine this. Your teacher walks in and says, "Class is suspended tomorrow because of a typhoon."

Suddenly, everyone wants to know more. That's news.

So what makes something news? That's exactly what you'll find out in this chapter.

📌 Definition
News is a report about a real event that people need or want to know about.

Simple, right? But here's the tricky part. Not every real event is news. A lot of things happen around you every day — most of them are not news.

⭐ The Golden Rule
News=Timely+At least one more element
⏰ Rule 1

News Must Be Timely

Timely means the event just happened — or is about to happen soon. Old news is not news anymore. If something happened two years ago and nothing changed, it's not worth reporting today.

✅
Timely

"Typhoon Carina signal raised this morning."

❌
Not Timely

"There was a typhoon three years ago."

💡
But timeliness alone is not enough! Every news story also needs at least one more element to be truly newsworthy.
📋 Rule 2

It Needs One More News Element

A news element is a quality that makes an event worth reporting. There are four main news elements. Every story needs at least one of these — plus timeliness.

A teacher pointing to a classroom chart showing the four news elements: Relevance, Proximity, Prominence, and Oddity
Element 1
Relevance
It affects many people's daily lives.
"The school canteen will be closed for a week."
Element 2
Proximity
It happens nearby — like in your school or community.
"A new basketball court opened in Barangay San Isidro."
Element 3
Prominence
It involves a well-known person.
"The mayor visited your school today."
Element 4
Oddity
It's unusual or surprising — it doesn't happen every day.
"A goat was found inside the school gymnasium."
🔍 Let's Check

Two Examples Side by Side

Let's apply the formula to two real scenarios. Can you see the difference?

❌ Not News
"Zion brought a lunchbox to school today."
  • Timely? Yes — it happened today.
  • Any other element? No.
  • Lots of kids bring lunchboxes.
  • It doesn't affect anyone else.
  • It's not unusual at all.
✅ This Is News
"Yesterday, a Grade 5 student named Hanna from San Isidro Elementary won first place at the Regional Science Fair."
  • Timely? Yes — it happened yesterday.
  • Another element? Yes — Proximity (your school).
  • And Prominence (a student everyone knows).
Remember the Formula
Timeliness + One More Element = 📰 NEWS
Timeliness alone = just another ordinary moment.

✏️ Practice Time

Apply what you learned. Work through the activities below step by step.

1

The News Meter Read each scenario and decide: is it news?

📋 For each scenario below, click Reveal Analysis to check if it has both timeliness and at least one more news element.
Scenarios revealed:
Scenario 1
"This morning, the principal of Mabini Elementary announced that classes are suspended tomorrow because of Typhoon Carina."
News Meter0%
⏰ Timely?
📌 Another Element?
Scenario 2
"Yesterday, a carabao was found wandering inside the Barangay San Isidro covered court during the morning flag ceremony."
News Meter0%
⏰ Timely?
📌 Another Element?
Scenario 3
"Last Monday, a Grade 6 student named Daisy from Rizal Central School won the National Journalism Award in Manila."
News Meter0%
⏰ Timely?
📌 Another Element?
Scenario 4
"Last year, James brought a green lunchbox to school."
News Meter0%
⏰ Timely?
📌 Another Element?
Scenario 5
"Every morning, the sun rises in the east."
News Meter0%
⏰ Timely?
📌 Another Element?
2

My Own News Events Write three real events and identify their news elements.

📝 Think of three real events happening around you — at school, in your barangay, or in the news. Fill in each event card below.

📎 Sample Answer (to guide you)

✅ Sample
Event:This morning, our school announced that the Intramurals will start next week.
Timely?YES
News Elements:Relevance, Proximity
Is it news?YES — It just happened and it affects all students in school.
🗒️ Event 1
🗒️ Event 2
🗒️ Event 3

🔍 Self-Check Guide

What to Check Done ✅ Try Again 🔄
My event is a real, specific happening ☐ ☐
I wrote whether it is timely ☐ ☐
I named at least one news element ☐ ☐
I explained in one sentence why it is or isn't news ☐ ☐

📊 Simple Rubric

3/3
You're thinking like a journalist already. 🗞️
2/3
Almost there. Go back and finish the missing one.
1/3
Good start. Try to think of two more events around you.

Answers will differ for each student. Use the rubric above or ask your teacher for help.

🧠 News or Not News?

Tap the correct answer for each scenario using the formula you learned.

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Up Next

Chapter 2: Discover News Writing

You know what news is. Now find out what news writing actually is — and why it matters way more than most people think.

Chapter 2 →
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