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Out: "Breaking News." In: "Developing Story".

DToTheJ

DToTheJ

I've noticed that more and more, cable networks are breaking themselves of the "breaking news" habit, i.e. keeping the "breaking news" banner on the screen for a story that's actually been broken awhile ago. In fact, recently, they now have the tendency to put up a banner reading, "Developing Story" or "New Developments". If anything, it keeps them honest.

Even ESPN, whose ESPNews was the biggest offender of this practice with its own little on-screen "breaking news" bullet 24/7, has even used "developing story" on some of its sports shows.
 
Perhaps they are starting to listen to people, like on this board, who have been complaining about this practice for atleast a couple of years. Maybe the focus groups are starting to reflect that opinion. However, I still see total mis-use of the term on many outlets. I guess the process will be slow...
 
The biggest reason that "Developing Story" has replaced "Breaking News" is the repetitive, beat-the-story-to-death mentality that is so pervasive now. Rather than sending reporters out to dig up stories and file interesting reports, the cable networks basically spend all day covering 2-3 stories incessantly -- or maybe just one. And to keep folks hyped, they need to show the story is "developing: when in actuality, its just nuanced variations on the same theme. Rather than report a variety of news, all effort is made to focus on every obtuse angle of those two or three stories. The NewsHour on PBS has always done that, although even they sometimes will spend the vast majority of time on one or two stories. Earlier this summer, I spent a couple weeks watching the nightly BBC America newscast. Talk about Culture Shock.
 
Cable news? What are these news networks you talk about? There are these talking heads loudmouth opinion networks.

BBC America news and the Newshour are the only real national news programs broadcasting right now. CNN MSNBC and Fox are not news networks.

OK CNN used to do news, but not anymore.
 
SanDiegoInExile said:
The biggest reason that "Developing Story" has replaced "Breaking News" is the repetitive, beat-the-story-to-death mentality that is so pervasive now. Rather than sending reporters out to dig up stories and file interesting reports, the cable networks basically spend all day covering 2-3 stories incessantly -- or maybe just one. And to keep folks hyped, they need to show the story is "developing: when in actuality, its just nuanced variations on the same theme. Rather than report a variety of news, all effort is made to focus on every obtuse angle of those two or three stories. The NewsHour on PBS has always done that, although even they sometimes will spend the vast majority of time on one or two stories. Earlier this summer, I spent a couple weeks watching the nightly BBC America newscast. Talk about Culture Shock.
Click to expand...

Excellent point. I totally agree, the cable nets now focus on 1 or 2 stories almost exclusively. They might mention other news, but it is then back to "long-form" reporting of the 1-2 important stories. This weekend, for example, both Fox and CNN spent 80% of each hour on the health care debate. BTW, the long-form reporting usually includes a panel debate where there is a lot of arguing and yelling. Enough already!
 
All I know is this: We have a National Geographic Channel, but there will never be a National Enquirer channel. THAT market is being covered and covered well.
 
The good news: the cable networks are listening and are finding out that the term "Breaking News" is being used too much.

The bad news: the cable networks just changed the term "Breaking News" to "Developing Story". Nothing else, including how much differently the latter term is used in comparison to the former, has changed.

Yesterday - "Breaking News". Today - "Developing Story". Tomorrow = "New Details". Doesn't matter the term...it will be used nonstop.
 
willcail said:
Cable news? What are these news networks you talk about? There are these talking heads loudmouth opinion networks.
Click to expand...

I totally agree with you on that. I also agree with searadiofreak about not liking the "long-form" reporting and having the talking heads on way too often. This is why I like to have the Weather Channel on as background noise instead of these so-called news channels. At least there, the Local's on the 8's is way more useful than these "developing stories" or whatever else they want to called them next.
 
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