More than journalistic choices behind breaking news

Breaking news refers to coverage of ongoing events reported as they happen and continuously updated in real time. The format is central to today’s digital news environment, where speed and immediacy are key. At the same time, it has been criticized for sometimes publishing information before it is sufficiently verified, and for the way repetition and dramatic headlines can amplify events and contribute to a more alarmist picture of reality.

“A common explanation is that audiences demand fast news, but my findings show that editorial routines and technological tools also sustain breaking news,” says Amanda Ramsälv, researcher at the Department of Journalism, Media and Communication (JMG).

She has examined how journalists’ views on the value of breaking news interact with digital technology, and how this together shapes and reproduces this type of reporting. The study is based on an ethnographic investigation conducted at a Swedish local newsroom in 2018, where Amanda Ramsälv followed the news work closely over several weeks. By observing reporters, editors and technical staff in real time, she was able to analyze how breaking news is produced in the newsroom. The study was complemented by follow-up observations in 2024.

“I observed that several different technological tools were central to newsroom work. Automated alerts from SOS Alarm provided leads for breaking news, while reporters could broadcast live from the scene via mobile apps. At the same time, editors monitored audience behavior through real-time data, which influenced how the news was shaped and presented,” says Amanda Ramsälv.

Reproducing a particular kind of knowledge about reality

The study shows that three recurring mechanisms shaped and sustained the production of breaking news:

• Extending events: news stories were expanded through continuous updates, even when new information was limited.
• Maximizing attention: the same event was republished in different formats and versions to retain audience focus.
• Reproducing the reporting: routines, metrics, and technical systems meant that breaking news was constantly recreated, often without opportunities for staff to question it.

“In practice, breaking news is sustained by an interplay between work routines, technological tools and audience data. It is a form of reporting that makes substantial demands on audience attention. I believe its value should be discussed more, but this is made difficult by the fact that ideals of being first on the scene and the technology itself almost automatically interact and continue to reproduce this kind of representation of reality,” says Amanda Ramsälv.