soft news
- noun
- /sɔft nuːz/
- Literature
:
noticias ligeras
- Did you see the soft news on the local festival?
Examples
-
Today's segment features soft news about celebrity weddings.
-
Many readers enjoy soft news stories because they are light-hearted and fun to read.
-
Magazines often focus on soft news like celebrity interviews and lifestyle tips.
-
Many television programs today include segments of soft news to attract a wider audience.
-
The article was criticized for being soft news rather than covering important developments.
-
The magazine is known for its soft news, featuring celebrity gossip and lifestyle tips.
-
During the evening broadcast, the host included a segment on soft news to lighten the mood.
Synonyms
Short, shocking stories that entertain but do not give useful information
Antonyms
How Serious
- Literature
7
3.5
- Literature
7
6.9
- Literature
3
3.8
- Literature
- Literature
188
3.7
- Informal
184
1.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'news that is entertaining or human-interest rather than serious' is directly inferable from combining 'soft' (not hard/serious) with 'news' (reported items). This is a transparent compositional contrast (soft vs. hard news) common in journalistic language and cross-linguistically recognizable, so a B1 learner who knows the parts will likely understand it.
Etymology
Soft news comes from the idea that 'soft' means gentle or easy to read, unlike 'hard' news about serious events. It brings to mind light, entertaining stories—like celebrity or human-interest pieces—so soft news means 'entertaining' or 'human-interest' reporting rather than 'serious' news.