diff --git a/e107_core/shortcodes/batch/news_shortcodes.php b/e107_core/shortcodes/batch/news_shortcodes.php
index 6d92063c7..b52d68b0e 100644
--- a/e107_core/shortcodes/batch/news_shortcodes.php
+++ b/e107_core/shortcodes/batch/news_shortcodes.php
@@ -733,7 +733,7 @@ class news_shortcodes extends e_shortcode
 		$this->imageItem = varset($media[$parm['item']]); // Set the current Image for other image shortcodes. 
 
 
-		if(vartrue($parm['placeholder']))
+		if(!empty($parm['placeholder']))
 		{
 			return $this->sc_newsimage('placeholder');	
 		}
@@ -853,10 +853,10 @@ class news_shortcodes extends e_shortcode
 		}
 		else 
 		{
-		
+
 			if(empty($srcPath))
 			{
-				if(varset($parm['type']) == 'placeholder' || vartrue($parm['placeholder']))
+				if(varset($parm['type']) == 'placeholder' || !empty($parm['placeholder']))
 				{
 					$src = 	$tp->thumbUrl(); // placeholder;
 					$dimensions = $tp->thumbDimensions();
@@ -899,8 +899,9 @@ class news_shortcodes extends e_shortcode
 
 		$imgParms = array(
 			'class'=>$class,
-			'alt'=>basename($src),
-			'style'=>$style
+			'alt'=>basename($srcPath),
+			'style'=>$style,
+			'placeholder'=>varset($parm['placeholder'])
 		);
 
 
diff --git a/e107_handlers/e_parse_class.php b/e107_handlers/e_parse_class.php
index 41d66eb6d..a713303f7 100644
--- a/e107_handlers/e_parse_class.php
+++ b/e107_handlers/e_parse_class.php
@@ -3962,29 +3962,34 @@ class e_parser
 	public function toImage($file, $parm=array())
 	{
 
-		if(empty($file))
-		{
-			return null;
-		}
-
 		if(strpos($file,'e_AVATAR')!==false)
 		{
 			return "<div class='alert alert-danger'>Use \$tp->toAvatar() instead of toImage() for ".$file."</div>"; // debug info only.
 
 		}
 
-		$srcset     = null;
-		$path       = null;
-		$file       = trim($file);
-		$ext        = pathinfo($file, PATHINFO_EXTENSION);
-		$accepted   = array('jpg','gif','png','jpeg');
-		$tp         = $this;
-
-		if(!in_array($ext,$accepted))
+		if(empty($file) && empty($parm['placeholder']))
 		{
 			return null;
 		}
 
+		if(!empty($file))
+		{
+			$srcset     = null;
+			$path       = null;
+			$file       = trim($file);
+			$ext        = pathinfo($file, PATHINFO_EXTENSION);
+			$accepted   = array('jpg','gif','png','jpeg');
+
+
+			if(!in_array($ext,$accepted))
+			{
+				return null;
+			}
+		}
+
+		$tp  = $this;
+
 	//		e107::getDebug()->log($file);
 	//	e107::getDebug()->log($parm);
 
@@ -4047,7 +4052,10 @@ class e_parser
 			$path = $file;
 		}
 
-
+		if(empty($path) && !empty($parm['placeholder']))
+		{
+			$path = $tp->thumbUrl($file,$parm);
+		}
 
 		$id     = (!empty($parm['id']))     ? "id=\"".$parm['id']."\" " :  ""  ;
 		$class  = (!empty($parm['class']))  ? $parm['class'] : "img-responsive img-fluid";
diff --git a/e107_plugins/news/templates/news_grid_template.php b/e107_plugins/news/templates/news_grid_template.php
index 475a5dbf7..3550c318f 100644
--- a/e107_plugins/news/templates/news_grid_template.php
+++ b/e107_plugins/news/templates/news_grid_template.php
@@ -78,8 +78,8 @@
 	$NEWS_GRID_TEMPLATE['other']['featured'] = '<div class="featured item col-sm-6" >
 														{SETIMAGE: w=600&h=400&crop=1}
 														{NEWSTHUMBNAIL=placeholder}
-														 <h3>{NEWS_TITLE}</h3>
-														 <p>{NEWS_SUMMARY}</p>
+														 <h3><a href="{NEWS_URL}">{NEWS_TITLE}</a></h3>
+														 <p>{NEWS_SUMMARY: limit=60}</p>
 													</div>
 
 
@@ -91,13 +91,13 @@
 												<ul class="media-list">
 													<li class="media">
 													  <div class="media-left media-top">
-													    <a href="#">
-													      {NEWS_IMAGE: class=media-object img-rounded}
+													    <a href="{NEWS_URL}">
+													      {NEWS_IMAGE: class=media-object img-rounded&placeholder=1}
 													    </a>
 													  </div>
 													  <div class="media-body">
-													    <h4 class="media-heading">{NEWS_TITLE}</h4>
-													    <p>{NEWS_SUMMARY}</p>
+													    <h4 class="media-heading"><a href="{NEWS_URL}">{NEWS_TITLE}</a></h4>
+													    <p>{NEWS_SUMMARY: limit=60}</p>
 													  </div>
 													  </li>
 													</ul>