Breaking News

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Breaking News

• News Writing and Reporting Workshop JMSC0002B
• Feb 25, 2002

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What is breaking news?

• A drastic departure from routine
• e.g. Accidents -- Impacts
• e.g. Natural Disasters
• e.g. Surprise announcements

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• BC-NY--APNewsAlert,
• NEW YORK _ Smoke poured out of an upper floor of
  a World Trade Center tower on Tuesday amid
  reports of a plane crashing there, police said.

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Where do you start?

• Know where to collect information.
• Get to the scene quickly
• Work the phone
• Your efforts to find, develop and maintain
  sources pay off.

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News Sense

• Be curious.
• Always remember the human element
• Find your lead from
• scarce information.
• conflicting information.

6
Keep Calm

• Observations
• Interviews
• Be persistent
• Be flexible

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Writing breaking news

• Accuracy.
• Precision and clarity
• To minimize confusion
• Weave in background