Stories of Value

I noticed three values that played a large role in the types of stories reported on Wednesday night’s broadcast of ABC World News. Conflict, impact and prominence and human interest constituted a majority of the broadcast. Conflict permeated almost all of the stories about President Trump. The main story, involving President Trump, examined his angry tweet targeted toward Nordstrom for their decision to no longer carry Ivanka Trump’s products. Another story explained President Trump’s disdain for the judges who are stopping his immigration ban from taking place. The story noted how President Trump’s recent words involved attacking of the judicial branch. The value of impact and prominence arose with the reporting on the winter storms hitting the Midwest and the East Coast. The reports focused mainly on the number of people affected by the storms and the damage that resulted. Finally, the news ended with a few short human interest stories: one about newborn tiger cubs born at the Cincinnati Zoo, and another about a teen basketball star who scored 92 points in one basketball game. Collectively, these stories showcase and define what ABC World News values in terms of the stories they produce.