An information subsidy is the provision of ready-to-use
newsworthy
News values are "criteria that influence the selection and presentation of events as published news." These values help explain what makes something "newsworthy."
News values are not universal and can vary between different cultures. Among the ...
information
Information is an Abstraction, abstract concept that refers to something which has the power Communication, to inform. At the most fundamental level, it pertains to the Interpretation (philosophy), interpretation (perhaps Interpretation (log ...
to the
news media
The news media or news industry are forms of mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public. These include News agency, news agencies, newspapers, news magazines, News broadcasting, news channels etc.
History
Some of the fir ...
by various sources interested in gaining access to media time and space.
Typical forms of information subsidies include
press release
A press release (also known as a media release) is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing new information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public releas ...
s, as well as press seminars and
conferences
A conference is a meeting, often lasting a few days, which is organized on a particular subject, or to bring together people who have a common interest. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always d ...
.
This information represents a
subsidy
A subsidy, subvention or government incentive is a type of government expenditure for individuals and households, as well as businesses with the aim of stabilizing the economy. It ensures that individuals and households are viable by having acc ...
to the media, since it lowers the cost of news-gathering. Out of the various alternatives available to the media to collect information —
investigative work,
informal channels and routine sources
—, the latter channel is the cheapest to monitor and maintain.
Relying on information provided by external sources can thus relieve the economic burden and shorten the time to
publication
To publish is to make content available to the general public.[Berne Convention, articl ...](_blank)
, especially when the information is presented in a format (such as an
inverted pyramid) and
style
Style, or styles may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Style'' (2001 film), a Hindi film starring Sharman Joshi, Riya Sen, Sahil Khan and Shilpi Mudgal
* ''Style'' (2002 film), a Tamil drama film
* ''Style'' (2004 film), a Burmese film
* '' ...
that can be easily incorporated in news.
On the other hand, critics argue that subsidies have the potential to skew the process of news selection by leading journalists to pick stories based on criteria other than their inherent importance and newsworthiness. The content of the coverage, critics contend, is also likely to be influenced, since the subsidised materials are usually
biased in favour of the source organisation. From the source's point of view, the ideal goal is to have the news media view reflect as closely as possible their own.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Information Subsidy
Journalism
Public relations
Subsidies