Topicality
In addition to publicity , universality and periodicity, topicality is one of the four characteristics for daily newspapers and other print media . It describes the timely reporting and distribution of the news by publication via newspapers , television , radio or the Internet . Timeliness can be measured by the time between the event and the mediation and publication of this event.
The words “actuality” and “current” have been common since the 18th century , but only became established with the development of the press. There is a distinction between latent topicality (for example in foreseeable problem areas such as environmental changes) and manifest topicality (for example in the case of recent events such as elections or catastrophes).
To publish as news, constantly determined to work in news editorial teams , for the readers and users of the news expected this date. Thanks to the Internet, the online editorial team has long since won the race for the fastest communication of news compared to the printed media. In journals also the currency plays a big role. For example, new research results should be published as quickly as possible, particularly in scientific journals.
In the case of publications that have longer time intervals between their editions, being up-to-date means processing and documenting the events within this interval. Magazines and weekly newspapers do not primarily focus on the topicality, but more on background reporting and the processing and publication of larger topics.
literature
- Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann , Winfried Schulz , Jürgen Wilke ( eds. ), Fischer Lexikon. Journalism mass communication , Frankfurt am Main 2000, ISBN 3596122600
- Siegfried Weischenberg , Hans Kleinsteuber , Bernhard Pörksen (eds.), Handbook Journalism and Media , Konstanz 2005, ISBN 3896694294
