We hear it and see it every day. But every station seems to have a different defintion. So let's get our heads together and some up with a definition that stations ought to use. Yes, it's an exercise in wishful thinking, but we do a lot of that on this board.

My definitions:

In radio, it's easy: Breaking News is a story that is happening right now. How long it remains 'breaking news' could be the subject of another debate.

In TV, it's a bit muddier, unless a station breaks in to other programming. Many will use the 'breaking news' banner for stuff that's just making air for the first time, even if the events occured several hours ago.
But, under the later definition, every story in the morning paper could be 'breaking news' on TV, where original journalism is committed far fewer times these days.

Your turn...

How long should a radio station plug itself as "NEW"?

20-minutes!

Darktemper, how often is Tide laundry detergent "New And Improved"? It isn't about actually being new. It's just marketing lingo.

For better or worse, it's true that people like new - even when it isn't really new.

Weird, I know.

Sounds like you are talking about KPTV, they have breaking news from India, then its still breaking for Hours & Hours later

For some stations, Tonya Harding belching is breaking news. I remember once KXL doing a news story on Tonya having car trouble. That's about the time I stopped listening.

I think a station gets to say "NEW!" until somebody does the work to make them not new. They then must improve and get to either say new again, or new and improved.

Re: Breaking -vs- developing.

I like your defintion of breaking news. I think it's often misused for additions or new developments. Those still get called breaking way too many times.

Aok has a great point too.

I think part of the defintion of "breaking" should be:

-the news is actually worth breaking

-it's actually new news as opposed to a development

-there is enough to actually break for.

Breaking for a tease is not cool, waste of time and dilutes the impact breaking should have. Breaking for not really news does the same thing.

The cable network that makes too much of “Breaking News” is MSNBC. I watch MSNBC much more than any other cable news network, but I find the “Breaking News” slide a bit misleading. Everything not programmed into the production schedule is labeled “Breaking News”. So if there is a school lock down in Peoria, Illinois and there is a helicopter from the local NBC affiliate in the air providing live shots of the schools in lockdown, it’s a “Breaking News” event. That’s why I take them with a grain of salt. To me, a truly “Breaking News” event is a “Special Report” from ABC, CBS or NBC. Whenever I hear that specially crafted music and see that “Special Report” slide, I take notice.

Locally, all the stations in the area have taken “Breaking News” to mean just about anything out of the ordinary. I expect it more from KPTV or KATU – they seem to like the “Breaking News” event. But as a rule, I think KGW does the best job of handling “Breaking News’. Too, they've taken to using the bottom of the screen scroll as not to disturb regularly scheduled programming if the situation isn’t deemed serious enough. Nothing worse than breaking into Bold and the Beautiful. Somebody important might be dead but if it happens during their soap opera, wait till the soap is over because they’ll call or e-mail the station and bitch.

I remember that being a big problem during the Watergate hearings.

Finally, the voice of "Reason" on this forum! LOL

Ya, weird how "New" is not "New" and what is "Old" is "New" again!

As an Viewer/Listner I expect "Breaking News" to be something that affects Portland Metro area, then something happening within The State. But "breaking news" for an apartment fire in New York is too much. I have emailed KPTV & told them that.

FAUX 12

NO News is good News even from New York

How many stations do you know that called themselves "new" only to have their format flipped?

New Country KRUPL ??

KRUPL???
TOO many letters.....

Hey Darktemper!
You've got mail!

There is a huge difference between "New KUPL Country" and "New Country KUPL"!