ABSTRACT
General media literacy also includes knowledge about the media system and the functioning of media institutions, including news agencies. The article therefore takes a deeper look at the understanding of the gatekeeping process and the prioritization of messages in current agency practice based on theoretical background and empirical research. Knowledge about the way agency reports are produced, which demonstrably influences news content across media institutions, is necessary for a better critical view and understanding of media production. Quantitative-qualitative research was carried out at the Press Agency of the Slovak Republic, where we used a quantitative content analysis to examine 1,373 articles published as part of domestic news in the period from 3/12/2022 to 3/3/2023. The qualitative part of the research included in-depth interviews with the editors of the news agency. We focused on the criteria for selecting news for the news and the decision-making processes of media workers. Focusing on current and important topics, dominantly aimed at the entire territory of the Slovak Republic, can be considered as significant results. If the topic affects all the inhabitants of the country, it has a significantly higher priority than a message focused only on a certain group, without considering the topic. At the same time, editors also decide what and how to publish based on their own experiences or their own interest in the topic, which partially affects the news service itself.
KEY WORDS
Gatekeeping. Impartiality. Importance of News. Influence on News. Media Literacy. News Coverage. News Agency.