Check if an element exists when parsing XML

[Edit]Jon Skeet’s answer should be the accepted answer. It is far more readable and easier to apply.[/edit]

Create an extension method like this :

public static string TryGetElementValue(this XElement parentEl, string elementName, string defaultValue = null) 
{
    var foundEl = parentEl.Element(elementName);

    if (foundEl != null)
    {
        return foundEl.Value;
    }

    return defaultValue;
}

then, change your code like this :

select new News()
{
    id = noticia.TryGetElementValue("IdNoticia"),
    published = noticia.TryGetElementValue("Data"),
    title = noticia.TryGetElementValue("Titol"),
    subtitle = noticia.TryGetElementValue("Subtitol"),
    thumbnail = noticia.TryGetElementValue("Thumbnail", "http://server/images/empty.png")
};

This approach allows you to keep a clean code with isolating the check of element presence. It also allow you to define a default value, which can be helpful