Breaking news is a journalistic term used to describe a news event that demands immediate reporting. Unlike regular news coverage that allows time for thorough research and fact-checking, breaking news requires timely updates about events that could have immediate consequences. This often creates challenges for journalists in terms of accuracy and avoiding sensationalism.
Delivering difficult news is always stressful and challenging for the messenger. But for the recipient, the impact can be even more severe if the news is delivered at the wrong time or in the wrong way. The right skills and strategies can help you avoid some of the most common pitfalls when sharing bad news.
The first step in effectively delivering bad news is to assess the situation and determine what the bigger objective is. This objective is what you hope to achieve as a result of the bad news, whether in a corporate context like getting an employee to leave peacefully or in a medical context such as having a patient follow a treatment plan.
Before 24-hour news networks, when a news event would prompt national network interruptions of non-news programs (or in some cases, regularly scheduled newscasts), the station would use an alert to inform viewers that programming will be interrupted. Typically, the station would then play a countdown sequence to allow other network affiliates to join the newscast live.
In the case of an eyewitness account of a tragedy such as the shooting of U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, it is important to verify the information with authorities. Panicking bystander accounts make dramatic headlines, but are often unreliable.
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