Breaking news is the term used to describe a developing story that is not only newsworthy but also urgent. These stories are usually related to sudden and unexpected events such as natural disasters, fires or terrorist attacks. Because breaking news is often the most important news of the day, media outlets compete to get the story first and to report it in a timely manner. Unfortunately, because of the frantic nature of reporting on breaking news, it is easy to make mistakes. For example, eyewitness accounts are often unreliable. During the shooting of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, many reporters erroneously reported that she had died, based on information from sources who were not in attendance at the event.
Despite the high value of breaking news, there is still concern that it may become overused and lose its credibility. As a result, this study sought to find out whether the breaking news label enhances or diminishes the credibility of online news articles. To do so, the research compared articles with and without the breaking news label as well as articles with and without the newsworthiness label. The results indicate that neither the breaking news label nor newsworthiness significantly enhances or diminishes the credibility of the article.
Hard news tells us what is happening now, equipping citizens with the knowledge they need to participate in a well-informed democracy. While soft news connects with audiences emotionally through anecdotes, humor, and personal narratives. Together, the dynamic interplay between hard and soft news helps journalism meet the multifaceted informational needs of a global audience.
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