Final answer:
News organizations indeed require an audience to generate profit, primarily through advertising revenue. The shift to digital media has altered the revenue models and content production of newspapers and other media outlets. This has led to a more fractured media landscape and changes in reporting practices.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of whether news organizations need to attract an audience for profit is true. Today, the majority of media outlets are businesses that require revenue to cover their costs. Many news organizations, such as newspapers and radio stations, rely on advertising as their main source of income, which often influences the content they produce. With the advent of digital media, there has been a shift towards online platforms, which offer both challenges and opportunities for journalistic enterprises. As physical newspaper sales decline and digital platforms rise, news organizations continue to adapt by creating digital pay plans and attempting to increase digital ad revenue to sustain their financial viability. The pressure to attract a larger audience has led to more sensational news headlines and a greater emphasis on opinion pieces that might appeal to a wider readership. Furthermore, the consolidation of media outlets into larger conglomerates and the emergence of niche journalism outlets affect the broad-based reporting traditionally expected from news sources. As a result, the media landscape has become more fragmented, allowing consumers to tailor their news consumption to their preferences.