The term “breaking news” used to be reserved for momentous events. Before the plethora of cable news channels, newsrooms employed the moniker judiciously as it meant breaking into regular programming and required approval from network executives.
Sadly, those days are long gone. When EVERYTHING is breaking news, the label loses it value. CNN is probably the most frequent perpetrator of this offense. Consider the following examples.
BREAKING NEWS: Trump to speak at rally. One hardly needs an alert when the network has been showing a vacant podium for two hours for an event which has been on the candidate’s calendar for days.
BREAKING NEWS: Repetition of elements of the Nice terrorist attack hours after they were initially reported. Wouldn’t a more honest lead-in be in order? “For those of you just tuning in, we’re going to recap when we know about the situation in Nice.”
This morning, CNN outdid itself. During a panel discussion from the site of the upcoming Republican convention, the anchor informed the panel she had to cut off the conversation, “as we have breaking news out of France.” What could possibly be significant enough to terminate the never ending parade of talking heads speculating whether Donald Trump would be viewed as more likable coming out of the convention?
Was there another terrorist attack? Did CNN go to a correspondent in France? NO! First, they played a promo for their convention coverage. Then they went to commercials. And when they came back, they did one more segment from Cleveland.
Ironically, the eventual report from Nice did have breaking news. French authorities had discovered a message from the attacker to an unknown recipient asking the recipient “to bring more weapons.” In other words, the text or email suggested the attack was not the actions of a lone wolf.
Last weekend, my wife and I re-watched All the President’s Men, which chronicles how Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward covered Watergate for the Washington Post. Some of the most compelling scenes are the discussions during which the editors of each of the news desks decide what will be in that day’s edition. In one sequence, editor-in-chief Ben Bradlee (played by Jason Robards) understands the initial reports surrounding the break-in are not yet significant enough to warrant front-page coverage. Bradlee was saying, “We’ll put the story on Page One when it deserves to be there.”
Perhaps, Jeff Zucker (CNN), Roger Ailes (FOX) and Phil Griffin (MSNBC) should take a two hour break this weekend, watch All the President’s Men and rediscover the roles and responsibility of managing editors of major news organizations.
For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP