When something is breaking news, it means that it’s an event that’s developing quickly and needs to be covered as soon as possible. It could be a shooting, a fire, a plane crash — or anything else that’s happening right now. It’s a big responsibility to cover breaking news well, because it’s often the most chaotic and confusing of all stories. And in their rush to be first, some media outlets sometimes report things that turn out to be wrong.
When a story is breaking, TV and radio stations interrupt their current programming to start covering it. That’s called a “cut-in” or “special report.” Before 24-hour news channels existed, cut-ins were reserved for extremely urgent events, such as the assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Breaking news is typically announced with a graphic overlay and distinctive music cue, which then pauses the regular program and switches to the network feed. This allows local affiliates to switch over to the national network and join the program. Then, the news anchors will welcome viewers and introduce the story at hand.
One thing to keep in mind about breaking news is that it’s important to confirm eyewitness accounts with authorities, especially if they involve violence. Witnesses at events like shootings can be mistaken, and even if they seem to have the facts right, they might still make incorrect assumptions. This is why it’s so important for journalists to always check their sources.