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During 23 years with the BBC, and a 40 year journalistic career (when he was trained to use clear and simple language, avoiding jargon), our Editor, Welshman Phil Parry always believed that the label ‘BREAKING NEWS’ should only be used rarely, above revelations of fresh or unlikely information which was hugely important, but now comes more evidence that the opposite is the case, and it is being put on stories willy-nilly today.
Earlier Phil described how he was helped to break into the South Wales Echo office car when he was a cub reporter, recalled his early career as a journalist, the importance of experience in the job, and making clear that the ‘calls’ to emergency services as well as court cases are central to any media operation.
He has also explored how poorly paid most journalism is when trainee reporters had to live in squalid flats, the vital role of expenses, and about one of his most important stories on the now-scrapped 53 year-old BBC Wales TV Current Affairs series, Week In Week Out (WIWO), which won an award even after it was axed, long after his career really took off.
Phil has explained too how crucial it is actually to speak to people, the virtue of speed as well as accuracy, why knowledge ofhistory and teaching the subject is vital, how certain material was removed from TV Current Affairs programmes when secret cameras had to be used, and some of those he has interviewed.
He has disclosed as well why investigative journalism is needed now more than ever although others have different opinions, how the coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown played havoc with media schedules, and the importance of the hugely lower average age of some political leaders compared with when he started reporting.
Sometimes I despair.
I was always taught that as a journalist the label ‘BREAKING NEWS’, should be used only sparingly and even then in giving genuinely fresh and significant information which may surprise the audience.
The reason is that otherwise the stories will lose their value, and people might not bother to look at them, thinking: “Oh they say this all the time, but it doesn’t mean anything…”.
Journalism is therefore seen as worthless by everybody.
Yet now you seem to see ANYTHING given as ‘BREAKING NEWS’!
A meaningless government or scandal-hit politician’s media release – ‘BREAKING NEWS’.
A completely bland statement from a company or anonymous ‘celebrity’ in trouble – ‘BREAKING NEWS’.
A totally vacuous comment by a person in the headlines which doesn’t give any new information whatsoever – ‘BREAKING NEWS‘.
The result of, or evidence given in, a fairly standard court case – ‘BREAKING NEWS‘.
Last week we were treated to classic examples from the BBC.
One came as Vladimir Putin started a news conference, and I received an urgent news update that his war aims were “unchanged”.
It was ‘BREAKING NEWS‘ apparently, that: ‘Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Russians that peace with Ukraine will only take place “when we achieve our objectives”.
‘He is holding his first major news conference since he launched his first full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
‘Mr Putin has combined his annual “direct line” phone-in with Russians with an audience of journalists”.
A few hours later we also had from the giant corporation as ‘BREAKING NEWS‘ – “LIVE ‘High probability Gaynor Lord went into Norwich river – police”.
The following day, it was also ‘BREAKING NEWS‘ that sadly a body had been found.
On that same day (Thursday) there was, too, the result of a court case in Scotland, which was reported, of course, as ‘BREAKING NEWS‘.
It was seemingly very important we were told that: “Two men and a woman have been found guilty of the murder of a schoolgirl in West Dunbartonshire more than 27 years ago.
“Robert O’Brien, 45, Andrew Kelly and Donna Marie Brand, both 44, were convicted after a trial at the High Court in Glasgow”.
The ‘BREAKING NEWS’ report added excitedly: “The body of Caroline Glachan, 14, was discovered on the banks of the River Leven in Renton on 25 August 1996”.
But it isn’t just news.
On the Thursday we were offered ‘urgent’ sports updates by the BBC about a woman referee taking charge of a football match.
Reporters declared as ‘BREAKING NEWS‘: “Rebecca Welch will become the first female referee for a Premier League fixture when she officiates Fulham’s match against Burnley on 23 December.
“Welch, 40, began refereeing in 2010, and in January became the first woman to referee a men’s Championship game”.
Two days later we were given as ‘BREAKING NEWS’ the latest information about the UK’s entry for Eurovision.
It was apparently vitally important that we were told: “Pop star Olly Alexander will represent the United Kingdom at next year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Sweden.
Once again the ‘BREAKING NEWS‘ report continued excitedly: “The former Years and Years frontman will hope to improve on the UK’s disappointing performance this year, when Mae Muller came second to last.
“Alexander is already known around Europe for hits including Desire, King and If You’re Over Me.
“He is also a Bafta-nominated actor, having played the lead role in Channel 4’s hard-hitting Aids drama It’s A Sin.”
Perhaps I should use it all the time too: “BREAKING NEWS – I want a cup of tea and a biscuit”…
The memories of Phil’s decades long award-winning career in journalism (when news was genuinely ‘breaking’) as he was gripped by the incurable neurological condition, Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), have been released in a major book ‘A GOOD STORY’. Order it now!
Publication of another book, however, was refused, because it was to have included names.
Tomorrow – it may also become ‘BREAKING NEWS’ that Donald Trump has been mocked for making a slip of the tongue, even as he condemns Joe Biden for doing the SAME!
