ABC News’ Martha Raddatz reports from Kyiv on the latest in Ukraine on “This Week.”
During prime time, breaking news can interrupt programming. Most news events require an interruption with little warning. In this case, the local news station may be given the opportunity to break away from the network feed and air their own newscast. Alternatively, the network feed may continue to show a live shot of the anchor.
As the breaking news unfolds, the anchor or reporter may share additional details with the audience. After the story is finished, the network may resume previous programming. This type of coverage often lasts a few minutes. The anchor or reporter may remind the audience that more details will be reported on the local newscast later.
Breaking news is often used interchangeably with “late-breaking news” and “special report”. Breaking news is used to describe the most important news story of the moment. This can refer to old events or new ones. It is also used to describe news that is of great interest to the audience.
During breaking news coverage, the anchor or reporter introduces the story and explains that the story is a live event. The station may then cut away to a video or music to emphasize the urgency of the story. The lower thirds may also be altered to convey a sense of urgency.
The network feed may pause to allow other network affiliates to join in. This may happen during the first few seconds of coverage. After the pause, the network feed may return to a reverse countdown.
