Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
soft news
English answer:
feel good stories
Added to glossary by
Robert Donahue (X)
Feb 26, 2000 06:16
24 yrs ago
5 viewers *
English term
Alexander
soft news
English
Social Sciences
Journalism
Do they mean "software news"? The term appears in the following context:
"However, the profitability of existing media is under siege, so there is pressure to restore profitability, either by cutting costs or by making themselves 'attractive'. There is a lot more soft news."
"However, the profitability of existing media is under siege, so there is pressure to restore profitability, either by cutting costs or by making themselves 'attractive'. There is a lot more soft news."
Responses
| 4 +3 | fluff/human interest |
Robert Donahue (X)
|
Change log
May 16, 2005 13:48: Robert Donahue (X) changed "Field" from "Other" to "Social Sciences" , "Field (specific)" from "(none)" to "Journalism"
Responses
+3
1893 days
Selected
fluff/human interest
"Soft" news means feel good stories.
"Hard" Versus "Soft" News
News stories are basically divided into two types: hard news and soft news. Hard new generally refers to up-to-the-minute news and events that are reported immediately, while soft news is background information or human-interest stories.
Politics, war, economics and crime used to be considered hard news, while arts, entertainment and lifestyles were considered soft news.
But increasingly, the lines are beginning to blur. Is a story about the private life of a politician "politics" or "entertainment"? Is an article about the importance of investing early for retirement a "business" story or a "lifestyle" story? Judging solely on subject matter, it can be difficult to tell.
One difference between hard and soft news is the tone of presentation. A hard news story takes a factual approach: What happened? Who was involved? Where and when did it happen? Why?
A soft news story tries instead to entertain or advise the reader. You may have come across newspaper or TV stories that promise "news you can use." Examples might be tips on how to stretch properly before exercising, or what to look for when buying a new computer.
Knowing the difference between hard and soft news helps you develop a sense of how news is covered, and what sorts of stories different news media tend to publish or broadcast. This can be important when you want to write articles or influence the media yourself.
"Hard" Versus "Soft" News
News stories are basically divided into two types: hard news and soft news. Hard new generally refers to up-to-the-minute news and events that are reported immediately, while soft news is background information or human-interest stories.
Politics, war, economics and crime used to be considered hard news, while arts, entertainment and lifestyles were considered soft news.
But increasingly, the lines are beginning to blur. Is a story about the private life of a politician "politics" or "entertainment"? Is an article about the importance of investing early for retirement a "business" story or a "lifestyle" story? Judging solely on subject matter, it can be difficult to tell.
One difference between hard and soft news is the tone of presentation. A hard news story takes a factual approach: What happened? Who was involved? Where and when did it happen? Why?
A soft news story tries instead to entertain or advise the reader. You may have come across newspaper or TV stories that promise "news you can use." Examples might be tips on how to stretch properly before exercising, or what to look for when buying a new computer.
Knowing the difference between hard and soft news helps you develop a sense of how news is covered, and what sorts of stories different news media tend to publish or broadcast. This can be important when you want to write articles or influence the media yourself.
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Graded automatically based on peer agreement."
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