Breaking news refers to the latest and most important developments that are happening right now. These stories often involve significant and unexpected events that can have a major impact on society, such as natural disasters, terrorist attacks or political scandals. Breaking news is often characterized by a sense of urgency and the need to report the story as quickly as possible. Breaking news is different from soft news, which usually involves more light-hearted topics such as celebrity interviews, fashion trends and feel-good human interest pieces.
When a breaking news event occurs, television and radio stations typically interrupt their current non-news programming to report the news. A typical breaking news break begins with an alert message asking viewers to “stand by” and a countdown sequence. A news anchor then enters the screen and introduces the story at hand. In recent years, 24-hour news networks have begun to use a special ticker during regular programming, lessening the need for cut-ins.
When writing about breaking news, journalists should aim to provide their readers with the most relevant and up-to-date information. They should also include a lead and nut graph to clearly inform readers about the story’s most important developments. Finally, they should use quotes to add credibility and emotion to their coverage. However, they should avoid using quotes that aren’t sourced or verified, as eyewitness accounts aren’t always reliable, especially in chaotic situations like shootings or natural disasters. These unsourced quotes can be confusing and misleading for readers.
