what is news?

Since starting bootcamp I have been much more conscious of the news and making sure that I read the paper every morning. I have been surprised by some of the stories that make the cut as "news" and/or are considered newsworthy enough to be put on the front page.

For example, I think it was two weeks ago that the story about the extravagant birthday party in India ran on the front page of the Washington Post. That was the same day that Ingmar Bergman's death was being reported. The story about some random two-year-old's party was placed above the small blurb about Bergman on the front page. I'm not sure I understand the reasoning here. I dont think that the birthday party story was even newsworthy enough to be in the A section, let alone on A1.

Today I noticed a huge feature, starting on, and taking up most of, page B1 and continuing, and taking up all of, page B2 about abandoned race tracks. While this may be an interesting feature and may even be newsworthy, especially since the professor looking for such tracks is at a school in Virginia, I dont believe that it should take up most of the first two pages of the Metro section. I am sure that there were other happenings in and around Washington D.C. that deserve that newspaper space.

Caitlin