"A gatekeeper is a person, who by selecting, changing ,and/or rejecting messages, can influence the flow of information to receiver or groups of receivers" (Tubbs & Moss 508). Seven different decisions help gatekeepers determine what is newsworthy. The first variable that gatekeepers must recognize is economics because much of the mass media in the United states is concerned with the profit they will make when spending and raising money. Next, legal restrictions affect the presentations and the content of information have to be taken into consideration. Also, the amount of time a gatekeeper has for a story (deadlines) affect the "depth as well as the time available to determine the accuracy of news selected" (Tubbs & Moss 510). The fourth thing gatekeepers take into consideration when determining the strength of a story is their ethics; their personal beliefs will influences the information they share will others. "A fifth factor is competition among media: In a market with several available sources, it was hoped that competition would raise the overall level of professionalism, ensuring a more objective presentation of information" (Tubbs & Moss 510). Also, the value of the news and the amount of time to present the story are huge factors when a gatekeeper is contemplating the "newsworthiness" that lies within a story. The final variable that affects a gatekeepers decision about stories within mass communication is reaction to feedback, where it is essential for gatekeepers to look at the media goals against public opinion. These are the several variables gatekeepers use to determine what stories should be released through mass communications.
http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/M/htmlM/masscommunic/masscommunic.htm
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