Hard News vs. Soft News

This article found on Vice News is a surprisingly perfect example of soft news, despite belonging to their section on Communism. Chines technology company Tencent has recently released an app that, believe it or not, allows you to virtually clap for their president. That's right, while you can't like a post on Facebook or watch a YouTube video, and you can't "Google" all your questions away, you can give your president all the claps he deserves, as well as compete with friends and family for the highest number of claps. This story qualifies as a soft news story because it doesn't cover any hard-hitting topics, and was more so written for entertainment rather than informative purposes.

A recent story covered by the New York Times is an excellent example of hard news. The article discusses the C.I.A.'s expansion of its covert operations in Afghanistan, sending multiple small teams of highly experienced officers and contractors to work alongside Afghan forces in there hunt for Taliban militants across the country. Discussing politics and military actions, this example of hard news more so deals with facts than emotions, as it's not intended for entertainment.

A perfect example of a hard-soft news mix, this story covered by People appeals to emotion while simultaneously dealing with war and politics. The news piece discusses the U.S. President Donald Trumps "condolences" to family members of those who've lost their lives in the line of duty, particularly in light of the recent ambush in Niger. While talking to the now widowed Myeshia Johnson, Trump reportedly couldn't remember her husbands' name.

' It made me cry because I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said it, ' Myeshia said.
' He couldn’t remember my husband’s name.'

By using quotes like the one above, the article effectively appeals to human emotion, despite covering a story pertaining to military and politics.

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Starting With the Basics

This past Thursday, Halifax Judge Gregory Lenehan acquitted yet another cab driver of sexual assault. The provincial judge ruled that Houssen Milad could walk free. Vice News reported that although Lenehan believed the complainant was sexually assaulted in the summer of 2016, there was Crown had failed to prove that Milad was responsible. A Metro News reporter who was in court for the ruling stated that the judge"slammed the Crown for doing a “disservice” to the complainant and the community by failing to conduct a proper investigation." Lenehan has a long-standing history of acquittals and sexual assault cases. In March, he also acquitted cab driver Bassam Al-Rawi of two alleged sexual assaults, the first of which involved a woman so intoxicated that she was passed out in the back of his cab. However, despite her having a blood alcohol level between 223 and 244 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, roughly three times the lega...

Writing the News Articles

Suspected Kidnappers in Custody, Child not Found Roughly two weeks ago, local preschooler Julia Carter, age 5, went missing. One week later, Sophie Harris, a student at Silverton Junior High. was abducted. And now, just two days ago, Eva Davis has been abducted. Despite the arrest and pending prosecution of her suspected captors, Eva's whereabouts are currently unknown. The two men, aged 29 and 37, deny any involvement in the three cases, despite an overwhelming knowledge of each case. Giving the surprising amount of disappearances that occurred in the past weeks, parents, as well as local law enforcement, are on edge. "It's an awful feeling," Mrs. Davis proclaimed; "You feel as though you failed your child, failed as a parent". "No mother should ever have to wonder if their child is dead or alive". If you or someone you know has any information regarding her pote...

Battling Lies: The Invasion of Fake News

As convincing as the word of some random person on the internet can be, I do not believe that the flowers in question have birth defects caused by nuclear radiation. For starters, "not much more to say, this is what happens when flowers get nuclear birth defects" isn't the most convincing argument. They're acting as though it must be true simply because they say it is. Also, using a picture with a perfectly normal flower in the corner doesn't help your case. It almost looks as if two of the flowers in the image were simply bent to look abnormal. For these reasons, I do not believe that the flowers in question have nuclear birth defects caused by excessive exposure to radiation. In less than a minute, I found a 2015 article posted by National Geographic that confirmed my suspicions. While it is possible for radiation to cause similar defects in flowers, scientists believe it is highly unlikely in this case. One reason for their doubt comes from the location o...

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