NEWS STORIES #7

Daily Mail

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6507331/Pregnant-Meghan-Markle-brings-cheer-Royal-Variety-retirement-home.html

Pregnant Meghan brings the Christmas cheer! Duchess shows off her burgeoning bump in a printed dress paired with a £550 coat on visit to Royal Variety nursing home

Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, is pictured attending a solo engagement at the Royal Variety Charity's care home for retired entertainers in Twickenham, raising spirits of the elderly during the Christmas period. This article pays close attention to closer details regarding Megan - it mentions her pregnancy and her fashion/dress: "The Duchess of Sussex continued with her trend of not wearing maternity labels, opting instead for a floral midi dress by Brock Collection", "Meghan swept her brunette locks back into a simple chic bun for the occasion and added a light touch of make-up". Megan Markle is presented as being a benevolent member of the Royals, who takes on a lot of charity work such as the Royal Variety show a long with to her charity fundraisers and work including visiting a care home (main discussion in article). The visit to the Royal Variety Charity's care home has been designed to allow Meghan, who was starring in the hit US television drama Suits when she met Harry but gave up her career to marry him, to see first-hand how the charity cares for those who have spent their lives working in the entertainment industry.

This story is an example of soft news. This story would appeal to an audience to be informed about the Royal Family and divert themselves from their everyday life, taking a look into the Duchess' life (Uses and Gratifications theory). This story fits with the Daily Mail as the Daily Mail often reports on the Royal family as this is something that their audience is concerned and entertained by - their audience 8s interested in the people that are at the top of the hierarchy in their country. This news story was at the top of the mail online homepage which is a representative of audience interests as the only way a news story makes it to the top of the page is through it having the highest amount of 'clicks' (readers). 

The I

https://inews.co.uk/news/sky-news-journalist-faisal-islam-faces-racial-abuse-reporting-on-brexit-westminster/

Sky News journalist Faisal Islam faces racial abuse while reporting on Brexit

Sky News journalist Faisal Islam has reported on twitter that he faced racial abuse from pro-Brexit campaigners outside Westminster. The  words, “not British” and “a rapist” left the mouths of some number of protestors, “specifically in yellow jackets”, while he reported on Brexit. On twitter he also reporter that former colleague, Kay Burley, had also received abuse - "Whilst reporting that some pro Brexit campaigners in yellow jackets were shouting misogynist stuff at Kay and that I was “not British” and “a rapist” ... well done all who helped create this situation. Good job" (via twitter). Sky News Political Correspondent Kate McCann also retweeted Mr Islam’s claims, confirming she’d witnessed the “unacceptable” abuse toward her colleague herself.

This story is an example of hard news as it is talking about the popular topic of racial abuse, linking it to the most talked about politically topic in the UK at this moment, Brexit. This article  would be consumed by audiences for surveillance and arguably personal identity as this topic in particular would be discussed and debated as it is serious and a popular subject that people will have a strong opinion on.