French President Emmanuel Macron talks with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos about his view of peace in Ukraine and ending the war with Russia.
Whether you’re watching your favorite news station, reading a newspaper, or checking your favorite social media site, it’s always good to be aware of breaking news. Sometimes, breaking news can interrupt a program’s broadcast. However, there are also times when it can add to the quality of the program.
During the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, CBS News anchorman Walter Cronkite provided breaking news coverage. The coverage was sketchy, however, because of limited information available at the time.
Some news stations use “breaking news” as an acronym for “special report.” In this case, a reporter introduces the story and states that “breaking news” will be followed by a “special report” of the story. These reports are sometimes short and are used to provide a sense of urgency.
In many cases, the coverage may be passed on to a reporter at the location of the breaking event. In other cases, information is disseminated by station master control or by an internal alert service. If the coverage is longer than a few minutes, it may be integrated into the network’s newscast.
During prime time, breaking news may interrupt a news program. This happens when the story is newsworthy and has widespread interest among viewers. Networks may also pre-empt programs, such as candidate debates, if the news is important enough. When the coverage is complete, the network may resume programming, or it may switch back to the newscast.
During the Shayrat missile strike on April 25, 2017, ABC News’ “breaking news” feature ended with a disclaimer that “more information is available at a later time” and directed viewers to their local television station’s website. The news anchor also noted that more details would be discussed on the local news, which would continue after the breaking news.
