Breaking news is an event or series of events that are happening in real time and which can have immediate impact on people’s lives. This type of news requires immediate reporting and updates, often interrupting regular programming to deliver them. It typically includes important, urgent news that could affect the public, such as natural disasters, major accidents or political or social developments.
Reporting breaking news demands a higher level of accuracy and thoroughness than regular news coverage, since it involves immediate events that can change rapidly. Journalists must also be vigilant in checking information from sources and avoiding speculation. Speculation is especially dangerous when a breaking story centers on an incident that hasn’t yet been fully confirmed by official sources. For example, after a shooting, eyewitness accounts from the scene can be misleading and lead to misinformation. As NPR’s erroneous report about Giffords proved, it can be easy for a reporter to assume something that isn’t true.
When a breaking story warrants an interruption of regular programming, broadcasters normally begin with a short news alert graphic and distinctive music cue, known as a “news flash.” They then switch to a live report from the field, or to a studio-based anchor who introduces the subject of the news and provides updated information. In the past, such stories required networks to interrupt regularly scheduled programing with a newsflash or alert crawl during normal broadcasts, but with the advent of 24-hour news channels and online streaming, this practice has become less common.
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