Let’s Talk About This ‘Breaking News’ Nonsense
Look, I’ve been in this game for 22 years. That’s right, since the days of dial-up and fax machines in newsrooms. I’ve seen it all. Or so I thought.
But this ‘breaking news’ obsession? It’s gotten completley out of hand. I was at a conference in Austin last year, and every other panelist was talking about ‘real-time updates’ and ’24/7 news cycles’. Honestly, it made me want to scream.
I mean, remember when news was… news? Not every little thing that happens in the world needs to be broadcast instantly. It’s just… yeah. The constant noise is exhausting.
My Friend Marcus Says I’m Old-Fashioned
Marcus—let’s call him that—is a digital journalist. Bright kid, but he’s got this idea that if it’s not viral by noon, it’s not worth covering. I told him over coffee at the place on 5th, ‘Marcus, not everything is a tweet.’
He said, ‘But Sarah, that’s where the audience is. We gotta meet them where they’re at.’
Which… yeah. Fair enough. But does that mean we have to sacrifice depth for speed? I’m not sure but maybe we’re losing something important here.
The Time I Chased a ‘Breaking’ Story
About three months ago, I was chasing a story about a local politician. The rumor was he was gonna resign. So, I dropped everything. Drove to his office, camped out for 36 hours. Turns out? False alarm. He wasn’t going anywhere.
And that’s the thing. Not every rumor is worth chasing. But in today’s news environment, you snooze, you lose. So, we all jump on every little thing, and half the time, it’s a waste of our committment and the public’s time.
What About the Big Stuff?
Don’t get me wrong. There are times when real breaking news matters. Like, a lot. I remember covering the 2012 Olympics. That was electric. The tension, the drama, the actual news. That’s what journalism should be about.
But these days, it’s all about the little stuff. A celebrity tweeted something! A politician said something mildly controversial! And suddenly, it’s a big deal. It’s not. It’s just noise.
Here’s What We Should Be Doing Instead
We should be focusing on the stories that matter. The ones that take time to develop, to research, to get right. Not every story needs to be a quick hit. Sometimes, you gotta let things marinate.
And look, I get it. The pressure is on. Advertisers want clicks. Editors want views. But at what cost? We’re sacrificing quality for quantity, and it’s not doing anyone any favors.
I’m not saying we should go back to the stone age. But maybe, just maybe, we could slow down a bit. Take a breath. And remember what news is actually for.
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That Time I Got Into a Fight With a Colleague
A colleague named Dave—let’s call him that—was insisting that we needed to cover every little thing that happened in the world. I told him, ‘Dave, we’re not a wire service. We’re a magazine. We should be about depth, not speed.’
He said, ‘But Sarah, that’s not how the world works anymore.’
And I said, ‘Maybe it shouldn’t be.’
We didn’t exactly see eye to eye. But that’s okay. Debate is healthy. It’s just… sometimes, I wish we could all agree that not everything needs to be ‘breaking news.’
What’s the Solution?
I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t. But I do know this: we need to start valuing quality over quantity. We need to remember that not every story is worth chasing. And we need to stop letting the noise drown out the signal.
It’s not gonna be easy. But it’s worth a shot. Because frankly, I’m tired of the constant noise. And I think you are too.
About the Author
Sarah Thompson has been a senior editor at London Weekly for over two decades. She’s seen the industry evolve from print to digital and has strong opinions about where it’s going next. When she’s not editing, you can find her arguing with colleagues about the merits of slow journalism or complaining about the lack of good coffee in newsrooms.
