For this and all of your e-responses, keep in mind that the following questions, or prompts, are intended only to get the conversation started.  You should feel completely free to depart from these questions in your responses and address whatever part of the reading that you found particularly compelling, problematic, or unclear.  Indeed, you should read the responses of your classmates who post prior to you.  You should feel free to respond directly to your classmates; at the very least, you should not repeat what they have said as if they haven’t said it.  These e-responses are by far the most beneficial for both you and your classmates if they’re done in the spirit of discussion rather than a busy-work, stand-alone post.  Do remember that your posting(s) should be at least 200 words.

Hartley uses the analogy of a football (by which he means what folks in the United States call soccer) match.  How is he using this analogy, and does it make sense to you?  Why or why not?

Hartley names several specific criteria by which news stories are chosen; these are often referred to as “news values.”  Did any of the news values he identifies surprise you?  Did he name any particular news values that you would disagree or take issue with?

Finally, Hartley examines the impact of news values on dissent.  How might you apply his ideas to those advocating for human rights?  How might they benefit or be disadvantaged by these same tendencies?