News value theories and principles in TVM's foreign news

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to research as to what extent the principles of news value are applied in the coverage of foreign news items of the state-owned Television Malta's (TVM) prime-time news bulletins. This dissertation, therefore, attempts to examine how/if the principles of news value are applied by TVM's gatekeepers of the foreign news items broadcast during October 2001. The principles of news value are identified in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 gives details about the Broadcasting Authority surveys and TVM prime-time news bulletins' audience share. Chapter 4 outlines a timeline history of TV broadcasting in Malta. This dissertation adopts a content analysis approach with an interpretation of the foreign news items' content in terms of the principles which constitute news value. The methodology adopted throughout this dissertation is explained in Chapter 5. Analysis of TVM's prime-time news bulletins broadcast during October 2001 is given in Chapters 6 till 10. The study also identifies the news agencies from which TVM gets its foreign news and analyses the Reuters' visual feeds sent via satellite during the month under review.