A man is charged for the genital mutilation of his two-year-old daughter. Khalid Adem, an Ethiopian immigrant, is sentenced to 10 years in prison for cutting off his daughter’s clitoris in 2001. According to the BBC News, the state of Georgia found him guilty of aggravated battery and cruelty to children.
Removing a female’s clitoris to preserve a girl’s honor has been a long standing tradition performed by numerous African nations. So why is it considered a “newsworthy” story here for us Americans? The conviction of Adem is the very first of its kind here in the United States.
Americans are a selfish bunch. We only wish to hear or read news that will affect us. We need to be captured by a sexy headline; otherwise, we bypass the story quickly. Each story must have some newsworthy value. Timeliness, proximity, prominence, human interest, impact, conflict and weirdness are all aspects that make a story newsworthy.
We would not have cared much for the story of the poor child having her clitoris, or her “womanhood”, removed by her father’s scissors if it was not an event that occurred here in the U.S. The story has proximity.
This story also has impact. As mentioned above, Adem’s conviction for the genital mutilation of his daughter is the first such case in the United States. Although a few are directly affected by the particular event, the conviction of Adem may produce hesitation for other parents nationwide to commit genital mutilation on their children.
There is also an unusual aspect to the story. Genital mutilation is common in places such as Africa, but not common here in the U.S. Therefore, this story is unusual; and the weird is always newsworthy.
Journalists and editors must always take into account newsworthy values in their stories. Otherwise, knowing us selfish Americans, if it doesn’t have anything to do with us, we just don’t care.
Removing a female’s clitoris to preserve a girl’s honor has been a long standing tradition performed by numerous African nations. So why is it considered a “newsworthy” story here for us Americans? The conviction of Adem is the very first of its kind here in the United States.
Americans are a selfish bunch. We only wish to hear or read news that will affect us. We need to be captured by a sexy headline; otherwise, we bypass the story quickly. Each story must have some newsworthy value. Timeliness, proximity, prominence, human interest, impact, conflict and weirdness are all aspects that make a story newsworthy.
We would not have cared much for the story of the poor child having her clitoris, or her “womanhood”, removed by her father’s scissors if it was not an event that occurred here in the U.S. The story has proximity.
This story also has impact. As mentioned above, Adem’s conviction for the genital mutilation of his daughter is the first such case in the United States. Although a few are directly affected by the particular event, the conviction of Adem may produce hesitation for other parents nationwide to commit genital mutilation on their children.
There is also an unusual aspect to the story. Genital mutilation is common in places such as Africa, but not common here in the U.S. Therefore, this story is unusual; and the weird is always newsworthy.
Journalists and editors must always take into account newsworthy values in their stories. Otherwise, knowing us selfish Americans, if it doesn’t have anything to do with us, we just don’t care.
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