In television news, breaking news is an urgent event that warrants the interruption of non-news programming. This can be a fire, an accident or even a natural disaster like a tornado or hurricane. Breaking news is often highlighted by a bold red, yellow or white text crawl and accompanied by a distinct news anchor introduction and music cue. It’s more common at 24-hour news networks, which are staffed with anchors ready to interrupt regular programming in the event of an emergency. Before the emergence of these networks, local and regional TV stations only interrupted regular programming for severe weather events such as tornado warnings or landfalling hurricanes.
When it comes to reporting breaking news, journalists face a tricky balancing act: They need to be the first with the story and keep up with developments, but they also have a responsibility to get the facts right. That’s especially important when it comes to eyewitness accounts, which can be misleading. In the case of the Gabrielle Giffords shooting, NPR reported at one point that the congresswoman had died based on an eyewitness account that turned out to be inaccurate.
When covering breaking news, reporters should never speculate about what’s happening or rely on unreliable sources. The exception would be if they are a first-hand witness, but even then it’s a good idea to check in with authorities to verify the information. This is because Murphy’s Law dictates that the one time something goes wrong, it will be the last time.