Noteworthiness

Noteworthiness is the quality of something that makes it worthy of notice or attention. In journalism, publishing, and archival work, the notion guides decisions about what to cover, preserve, or reference. What is considered noteworthy can vary by audience, institution, and culture, and it may change over time as circumstances shift.

Common criteria include significance or impact, novelty or timeliness, prominence or public interest, proximity or relevance to a given audience, and potential usefulness or informative value. Items that affect many people, reveal a larger trend, or illuminate a particular topic are more likely to be deemed noteworthy.

In practice, noteworthiness is shaped by guidelines and standards. For example, encyclopedic projects rely on verifiability and reliable sourcing to establish notability; newsrooms weigh public interest against potential harm or sensationalism. Noteworthiness is therefore a normative criterion, not an inherent property of an event or person.

Because it is culturally and temporally contingent, noteworthiness can reflect biases and gatekeeping. Debates may arise over what deserves coverage or preservation, especially for marginal voices or niche topics. Conversely, some subjects gain lasting noteworthiness long after initial coverage has ended.

Related concepts include notability, significance, relevance, and editorial standards. Noteworthiness operates as a guide for selection rather than a fixed measure, aiming to balance informative value with editorial responsibility.