Sorting rules control what order content gets pulled in once the Query rules have been satisfied. Sorting rules are unique by block template, meaning that blocks pulling in editorial assets will feature different sorting rules than blocks pulling in classifieds or e-Edition assets.
When a new editorial content block is created, the Start date/time (newest first) Sorting rule is added by default, so that the latest content is presented first, but others can be included for more granular results in the same way as Sorting rules.
For example, in addition to the Start date/time (newest first) rule, a second rule can be added to sort by Display priority, Update time or even based on reaction.

Sorting Rules for Editorial Assets

Sorting Rules for e-Edition Assets

Sorting Rules for Classifieds Assets

Sorting Rules for Business Assets

Sorting Rules for Calendar Assets
Sorting Rules for BLOX CMS
If content is not ending up where you want it to or where you expect it to, there is a disconnect between the query rules and asset's settings. Most of the time, the asset is missing a section tag, a keyword, or a flag that the block is expecting.