Breaking News
Though I acknowledge the importance of timeliness, the most important thing to me with breaking news is being completely factual. In a situation where I’m writing a breaking news article, it’s likely that the subject matter is pressing, and I need to contribute to the spread of truth. I always make sure to verify my information with multiple sources, both digital and human, on breaking news stories, thus accurately informing the public. From there, I work alongside my editors to ensure that the story is accessible and available as quick as possible.
Breaking news: CCHS, CCSD host safety assemblies
This was my most impactful breaking news story. The Apalachee High School shooting had happened the day before, and in the aftermath of it, misinformation and threats were rampant in my school community. A middle school student was even arrested for making threats in my school district. Taking it upon myself to report on the issue, I ran an update on the safety precautions and steps being taken by the Clarke County School District to combat the threats and actual danger in our community. I wrote the story in inverted pyramid style, putting the most important information at the front, while backloading other pertinent topics. The story was published within three hours of our own safety assembly to ensure it was useful to our school community.
CCSD announces CCHS Teacher, Support Professional of the Year
This story was about a much less sensitive topic, but nonetheless important to my school community. I wanted to break the news about our staff being recognized before it circulated otherwise, so visited both teachers in person for quick interviews before writing the story with information from a press release. The story was posted by the time students left school, ensuring it was available as soon as they got access to their phones again.
Breaking news: Athens Rock Lobsters home opener cancelled
This news was unexpected – I’d been planning to cover the game only minutes before it was cancelled. As such, I was scrambling to get the story up, having received the information at the same time as other professional media outlets in Athens. Relying on the press release and reporting from other outlets, we published this alongside a social media post to quickly inform the local community of the event’s cancellation.