Breaking news, synonymous with major events such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and fires, is a dynamic feature of modern news. It’s not just a matter of breaking the news on television; today, breaking news is part of the media business and often engages a great deal of reporting, research, writing, and video. While there are many types of breaking news that may interest you, the purpose of this article is to provide you with an overview. This will help you identify what type of breaking news may interest you and to guide you in the preparation and distribution of your own news stories. The following are some different types of breaking news.
A special report is defined as any report that offers an overview of a given event that is being covered by several different media, including broadcast television and the Internet. Breaking news, synonymous with major events like hurricanes, earthquakes, and fires, is a general topic that different broadcasters feel requires the temporary interruption of their programming or daily news to provide its facts. Examples of popular special reports are Mother’s Day specials, fish reports, and school closings. They may be carried live on television, reported on by local TV affiliates, or published in newspapers around the country. When a major event occurs that has a significant impact on the country, breaking news may be the first major coverage of the story and may even lead to more coverage and reporting to the media by various different outlets.
A local breaking news report, on the other hand, refers to any special event or significant occurrence occurring in a local area. This would include reports of ice storms in the area, crime rates in the area, or anything else of note that is relevant to the viewers of the station. This type of coverage tends to come more late in the day, as viewers are more likely to be home when the news breaks. In some cases, local stations will prerecord a prerecorded news report for airing later at night, but in other cases, live footage from a local news event may be required for air later that evening.
A “special report” is a bit of a misnomer since it seems as though the term applies to any story that is longer than a regular news segment. These stories tend to focus on less current events, such as local wildlife exploits. They are a bit more brief than a full-length news segment, lasting anywhere from thirty seconds to one hour. Often times they will be aired in the breaking news section of the evening news, but sometimes they are shown as a separate show on the station’s schedule. For example, in some major television networks’ evening schedules, the special report will appear in its own time slot, separate from the regular news.
False news is often presented in a similar fashion to false news. Sometimes this can come from sources as different as the actual government and foreign intelligence agencies. These false sources are often presented in a way which goes far beyond just reporting false facts. They will often go so far as to fabricate their own reality in an effort to influence the public or news channels into presenting their version of the story. It is far too easy for these fake news outlets to present themselves as legitimate news sources in an attempt to deceive their audience.
The problem with both false reporting and fake stories is that they serve to distract from the real stories which are being covered by major news networks. While this may not seem like much to some people who are used to watching television news coverage and falling asleep during live coverage, the cumulative effect of these tactics can have a very real and detrimental impact on the public’s understanding of real life events. For instance, there have been several instances in which large crowds of people have turned out at local theaters expecting to see a live performance by a popular artist or band only to find that the performance has already been canceled for rain delays. The confusion and misinformation caused by false and misleading information have led to further public mistrust and confusion which has further reduced the quality and accuracy of the public’s overall perception of the news media as a whole.