This post is written in conjunction with the 30 Days of Writing, a blog challenge devised by Nicky and Mike at “We Work For Cheese.” I’ll be participating throughout the month of June. If interested, you can see my post with the details of the challenge.
Please note that some of these posts will be serious, some will be normal, and some will be an attempt at humor. This one has a little of everything.
Maybe it’s because I used to work in the traditional media…
… by that I mean newspapers.
But it seems, all of a sudden, that the world is in excess of newspaper/media terms. Any blogger out there uses these terms extremely loosely and in excess.
Let’s take, for example, the word breaking.
I follow many Twitter accounts. These accounts range from everyday people, bloggers, minor and major league baseball teams, pro wrestling sites, foodie people and many more.
It’s rare, however, that I can go through a day without seeing the word “breaking” in capital letters at the beginning of a tweet. Of course, this tweet leads me to the website which then has breaking news about something.
Here’s the problem — it’s not breaking news.
The news business is extremely competitive. Especially now, when the Internet keeps booming and there are so many online people trying to break things.
I respect this. I really do. Especially as somebody who has worked in the media and as somebody who battled to break actual news. But to see it used so loosely and in excess is maddening.
For example, when a website gets a text message from a major organization or company — one that is blasted to many people, both media, fans and whoever else — and then puts said text on the website without any additional details besides what is in the text — it’s NOT breaking news.
Breaking news means just that — you broke the news. Or, you are at least adding to some breaking news.
That a minor league game got rained out a few days ago has been re-scheduled for a doubleheader down the line is not breaking news. It’s something that you are telling fans.
Breaking news is something that many people will want to see or know about. A re-scheduled game is news of sorts, but not some “holy crap, that’s breaking news!”
The word is used in total excess.
It’s that way with many other journalism terms.
A press conference being called a presser is becoming a term used in total excess as well. The terms such as “lede” and “graph” and things like that are littered all over, too.
I didn’t like a lot of these terms when I worked in journalism. I especially can’t stand them now when people use them so loosely and in excess on their blogs and websites. Just because you use the terms doesn’t necessarily make you some sort of news entity, especially when the content is then littered with errors.
I’m all for citizen journalism. And I’m all for news sites and blogs. After all, I find them helpful and good to read. But breaking news in the news industry is a big deal. Let’s not use those terms in total excess — and save the rest of us from having to roll our eyes and have a deep sigh.
Or reach our breaking point.
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From now on, I’m putting “Broken News” in my headlines. (Just kidding.) I find many things annoying in the written words. For example “I graduated high school…”. What happened to the word “from”? And “He came onboard in June”, “onboard”? It’s not aboard? Say what?
Linda Medrano recently posted..What Is Wrong With Excess?
Ha! You’ll just be part of what is going on! Though your news would be way better! 😀
It’s the world we live in where the headline comes first, the story second. The media know that one headline will soon be replaced by another, so they climb over each other to get the immediate traffic. It’s too bad. The stories are written with less integrity today.
When it comes to real news agencies, I don’t disagree. It’s all about being “first,” not being correct. But for blogs and such? Overkill and excess!
I agree with your view on the overuse of words and phrases. Overuse is not limited to just the media, though. We all have our catch phrases that eventually become tiresome and lose their effectiveness.
Linda recently posted..In Excess?
Absolutely. I was just trying to point out the media. If I got started on everything else, it would take many blog posts!
Amen to everything you wrote. A real breaking news story is every journalist’s dream. Great job with the prompt.
Leeuna recently posted..30 day writing challenge #7: Excess
It is for sure. And that’s the problem… “breaking” is becoming too used!
I concur with your thinking. Interesting, I spent 10 years in radio news so we have something in common. I’m more a traditional news source guy. This so-called “citizen journalism” business just doesn’t work for me. What? Anyone with a blog is a journalist now? C’mon.
nonamedufus recently posted..30 Days of Writing – #7 – Excess
I totally agree. I paid my dues. Went to school. Worked in crap to get where I eventually did to become an award-winning journalist. Now anyone with a blog becomes a “journalist.” Worst part of it is many of these bloggers call themselves “journalists” without having any ethics what so ever.
Bravo! That is a pet peeve of mine. Every night, the local news in Houston opens with BREAKING NEWS! I call BS! Glad you did too!
Malisa recently posted..Excessively Concise
Yeah — I’d be impressed if a news station had breaking news each night! BS is definitely called!
well said… 🙂
Barb recently posted..Excess
Thank you much!
P.J. recently posted..Train coming
I have to admit, I haven’t seen any of these breaking references. When I hear that word I think of it it comedy terms – it refers to when something is being played out live and the actors intentionally stuff up and make it look like an accident.
Michael D’Agostino recently posted..I’d Like to Thank the Academy…
That’s definitely a different way of using it. And feel lucky you haven’t seen the excess of people using it!
Bravo! My pet peeve is when the station alerts us to “Breaking Weather” during their regular time for the weather report.
laughingmom recently posted..30 Days of Writing – Excess
Ha! No doubt! I’ve seen that a couple times. And since when is weather breaking news, unless there’s something major coming? I see that for normal weather stuff. “Breaking… thunderstorms are happening!”
(I look outside — well no crap. It’s been doing it for two hours!)
AMEN TO THAT! Tell it like it is, don’t hype it up. I NEVER watch the news anymore because it is ALL “breaking news.” And ALL negative. I so agree with you… one day there WILL be breaking news and no one will pay attention!
Katherine recently posted..Excess
Well, from working in the news industry, there’s going to be negative news. But yeah — everything is breaking. And it’s so annoying. It’s like crying wolf!
I’m going to start using the word BREAKING at the beginning of all my tweets! Even if nothing is broke…except for me. I’m always broke, but that’s neither here nor there…unless of course I do report breaking news, and then I make money doing it…ok, this comment took on a life of its own. Great post! I agree! Let’s not break the news unless we mean it.
I know that feeling about always being broke. Maybe the beginning of tweets could be “I’M BROKE?”