While fiction lets writers explore creativity and essays dive deep into analysis, news writing focuses on delivering verified facts in a concise, structured format. From harrowing stories of global events to uplifting profiles of local champions, news articles serve the purpose of informing readers with accuracy and objectivity.
Breaking news is the name given to immediate, fast-developing events that require special attention from media outlets to accurately report. These are often sudden and unexpected, such as a plane crash, building fire or tornado. The urgency of the event and the competition to be first to report it can lead to mistakes in reporting, especially if eyewitness accounts are inaccurate.
Ideally, journalists will be at the scene of the breaking news to witness it for themselves and confirm the facts, but this is not always possible. The rest of the time, reporters have to rely on sources and, especially in emergency situations, can be subject to Murphy’s Law, whereby the one thing you assume is wrong will inevitably be proven correct. For example, in the aftermath of the Giffords shooting, NPR based an erroneous story on the account of a panicked eyewitness who told the press that the congresswoman had died.
The key to a good breaking news article is to focus on what is at the heart of the story and its urgency. To do this, the story should start with an AP style headline that clearly states the who, what, when, where and why of the breaking news.
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