Breaking news is the term for a story that is happening or just happened and is of significant public interest. It requires immediate reporting and often interrupts regular programming to provide real-time updates. This type of news prioritizes timeliness and immediacy, requiring journalists to gather and verify information quickly and often relying on eyewitness accounts and social media. It also presents ethical considerations for reporters who may be rushed to provide updates while still maintaining accuracy and avoiding sensationalism.
Good news writing begins with truthful, straight-forward facts. Journalists obtain information through a variety of techniques, including interviewing sources, searching government documents, researching old articles, and observing events firsthand. Newsworthiness is determined by a number of factors, including proximity (local events have more news value than those that happen far away), celebrity, and the impact on society or the economy.
Start the article with a short, snappy headline that grabs attention and outlines what has happened. Use adjectives sparingly to avoid overwhelming the reader with unnecessary detail. Avoid cliches, which are overused expressions that no longer hold appeal.
Use a narrative lede, which lays out the story’s main players and key plot points. Aim to include the who, what, where, when, and why, but leave out the how if it is known or is not relevant. Be sure to read your lede out loud – does it sound clunky or unnatural? Do you trip over words or run into jargon your reader will not understand?