Breaking news is new and important information that occurs in real-time, often involving events that are immediately impactful. This type of news usually requires immediate reporting and may cause journalists to interrupt regular programming or provide continuous updates. Breaking news can include a wide variety of topics, from natural disasters to political events to severe weather.
When a breaking story develops, a station may interrupt regular programming with a special graphic or music cue. Typically, the newsroom will notify all affiliated stations that the program is to be interrupted and a network feed will be available. Some 24-hour news channels have anchors who are ready to interrupt their own programs if needed. Before the rise of 24-hour news networks, many local television and radio stations used to interrupt their non-news programs with a headline or alert crawl during major breaking events like the assassination of John F. Kennedy or a tornado warning.
One of the biggest challenges with breaking news is the fact that it’s often difficult to verify information. In the rush to be first, erroneous reports can circulate. It’s also easy for reporters to make assumptions about an event, especially if they haven’t witnessed it first hand. For example, when the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords happened, NPR sent an email and tweeted to millions of people saying that she had died.
When reporting breaking news, make sure to never assume anything and always confirm facts before airing them. It’s also important to consider how a breaking news story will affect the community. Will it scare them? Is it likely to result in a significant loss of life or property? Evaluate your organization’s policies for handling breaking news and make sure it includes a plan to serve the hearing-impaired.
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