Peirspictiochtai Ar An Saol
Zero-Based News
Part Thirteen
Drama is not just something that makes a literary novel a good read, drama is also a key ingredient used by some in media organizations to determine what "news" is "news" as well as how "news" is reported to their consumers.
The influence of drama has been a facet of news reporting.
The words, the images, and/or the sounds can convey the drama of the news.
A few examples of words that send a message of drama:
"It was the largest…"
"The biggest…"
"We just got off the phone with…"
"As we told you previously…"
"We have found…"
A few examples of images that showcase drama:
A tree falling on a car.
Fire consuming a structure.
Water carrying debris down a river.
A person crying as they describe a situation.
A weathercaster standing amid a storm.
A few examples of sounds that give a sense of drama:
Gunfire on a street.
The sound of a roof caving in on a building.
The sobs of a person providing a victim's statement in a court.
Music played at a funeral.
The [bleeped curse words] of a witness to an accident.
Putting dramatic words, images, and sounds together is one of the key ways that media organizations utilize to encourage people to read, view, and listen to the news reporting of those media organizations.
The drama may or may not reflect the reality of the truth.
But the drama does work in the views of those in media organizations who determine what "news" is "news."
The next news column in this series will focus on how race influences what news is reported.
Peirspictiochtai Ar A Saol – Gaelic – Irish – for "Perspectives On Life" is a column focused on aspects of accountability and responsibility as well as ways people look at life.
Contact Richard McDonough at
© 2025 Richard McDonough
