Usually, when something is breaking news it means there’s a developing story that needs to be covered quickly. These stories can range from plane crashes and fires to shootings, political developments, or natural disasters. There’s often a lot of competition among media outlets to get the story first, but that comes with a higher responsibility to get it right. In the rush to be first, a lot of outlets end up reporting things that turn out to be wrong. For example, NPR’s erroneous report that Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords had died was based on a single eyewitness account that turned out to be false. Always verify sources, and never speculate. Private citizens can afford to speculate, but journalists must always be sure to get the facts.
Breaking news events are typically dramatic, and they can cause a lot of panic. That’s especially true at a mass event like a shooting or a disaster. Witnesses may tell wildly different accounts, and in the chaos that surrounds such events it can be difficult to distinguish what’s actually happening. For this reason, it’s very important for reporters to check eyewitness accounts with authorities before publishing them. In the past, when a major breaking news story interrupted regular programming, TV and radio stations would use “Newsflash” or “Special report” tickers during their regular newscasts, but now many networks have 24-hour news channels with anchors who can be available for interruption at any time.