Breaking news is new, urgent or developing news that captures public attention due to its timeliness and relevance. It typically interrupts regular programming to provide important updates, and requires reporters to prioritize delivering verified facts in a short, structured format. While breaking news can be exciting, it also poses unique ethical challenges for journalists to ensure that they are providing the audience with accurate information and avoiding sensationalism.
A well-written breaking news story starts with an interesting hook to grab readers’ attention. This is often a dramatic anecdote or a surprising fact that explains why the story is important. It should then move to the nut graph, which is a summary of what the reader can expect to find in the rest of the article. The nut graph answers the questions who, what, when, where and why.
Breaking news stories are often based on eyewitness accounts or official statements. When possible, confirm eyewitness reports with authorities before using them in your article. Likewise, never assume something you read on social media is true. For example, many people assumed Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords had died after NPR mistakenly attributed her condition to an eyewitness account. Also, avoid speculating about a tragedy. Murphy’s Law tells us that the one time you think you know how a tragedy will unfold, you are probably wrong. Moreover, don’t share the names of injured or dead individuals before loved ones are notified. It can cause a lot of trauma.
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