New to design

I think for a news site you need to worry less about catching attention and more about usaiblity. If you look at any big news site, such as CNN, for example, there is a lot going on. People expect a lot of functionality yet it still needs to be easy to use. I would start by surveying the competition and looking at what they're doing with their sites. You'll have to decide what sort of model you want to folllow.

Otherwise, the key cornerstone for any site is a good logo. You'll probalbly want to hire a professional to do this for you. You'll want to have a good idea of the ideas you want to convey about your site so that person can design something that accurately reflects who you are.

Good luck!

now onto your dilema.

-Try using a white background, its easy one everyones eyes.
- also try sticking to a basic colorscheme the whole time and not the most hi-tech design ever, try keeping it basic so load times are faster and its easier to navigate

i hope this helped