What is really important?

Gatekeepers within the news are individuals who are in charge of what the public eye sees. Many of them are journalists, editors, producers and anchors. In many cases, investigative reporting is an effective way to show how gatekeeping works. To regulate the "flow" of information many investigative reporters focus on an specific issue while leaving other information out. This is because it is what people are actually interested in, and keeps viewers watching. To understand fully, a "gatekeeper in a social system (like news) decides which of a certain commodity – materials, goods, and information – may enter the system. Important to realize is that gatekeepers are able to control the public’s knowledge of the actual events by letting some stories pass through the system but keeping others out."

In order to be an effective investigative reporter it is almost vital to have gatekeeping. The reporter must understand what to include based on previous broadcasts, sources and the "knowledge" of the audience that specific day. News is always changing so it is important to know what can and cannot be repeated. People want to hear stories they are not aware of, or else their interest will fade. Using gatekeeping helps viewers grasp more of an attention to the news.

-Taylor Johnson