Final answer:
A pseudo-event is often a media event staged to appear as real news, designed for publicity rather than being an event of authentic substance, such as certain political campaign strategies.
Step-by-step explanation:
A 'pseudo-event' today might be described as a staged or planned media event, specifically designed to attract news media for the purpose of delivering a message or gaining public attention, rather than an event of genuine newsworthy substance. Such events are crafted to appear as real news but often lack any substantial basis in fact. The term can relate to activities like fake news stories that masquerade as actual news.
In politics, media events such as primary elections and party conventions are sometimes critiqued as pseudo-events. They are highly publicised yet can function simply as a formal endorsement of decisions made beforehand. A notable example of a media event was Barack Obama's campaign strategy of visiting households with a media crew, which was largely symbolic and had limited impact on his campaign's success.
Contrasting pseudo-events with unplanned, significant international occurrences, such as a terrorist attack, highlights the difference in media coverage these events receive, with the latter directing attention typically towards authoritative figures like the president for an official response.