Breaking News.....

In my contemplation of the media, the phrase "Breaking News" is either over used or is incorrectly used.  Why....in my day,  Breaking News was something like a president being shot or planes flying into buildings. Not so much anymore. Every episode of the "Nancy Grace finger-wagging show" has the phrase "Breaking News" ticker-taping across the bottom of the screen. It doesn't matter if the story is weeks old... it is still breaking news to Nancy. But Nancy just sees the world very differently.  Nancy wakes up every morning to a world full of people to be "holier than". 

Breaking news is something that is so important and news worthy it requires a network to Break into a current broadcast to air it.  I always assumed that is why it's called Breaking News... rather than just News. 

Certainly the correct use is not with Miss Grace who uses the words like an advertising promo followed by the audible phrase "Bomb shell, this just in...".   If it was only Nancy's misuse I could pass it off as just  her case of "OMLS"(Old Maid Lawyer Syndrome) . But it is not just Nancy Naysayer... most media outlets misuse it.

For example, according to the info push on my Google page, this is breaking news... a bomb shell... a story so important that it needs front page space on the Internet. I am sure the civil defense network is on stand by ready to go into action because of this "Breaking News" story. Here it is ripped from the instant media....

Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt: Will They Have More Kids?

Details immediately on some of these same stations.  Because the story contains the word kids, Nancy Grace will go live with her opinion.

Last week the question was,  "Angelina Jolie & Brad Pit will they get married?" The question came up because one of their 6 children asked. When your own bastard children are begging to be legitimised, perhaps it is time to rethink your concept of commitment... but is that news?

It is my constant complaint about this instant media we now all carry around with us. We are capable of knowing things instantly. No matter where you are you can get a Breaking News alert... even while you are driving a car at 85mph. The possibility that an alert on an iPhone could cause a person driving a car to become distracted is real enough. We have traffic laws dealing with smart phones and driving. So what might be the Breaking News information that could send a car speeding out of control across several lanes of traffic causing massive damage?  Brad and Angelia's family planning strategy.  Now there is Breaking News to die for....

As you were,

Jay