Breaking News!

Got your attention, didn't I?

One of my pet peeves about the media (yes, of which I am part I suppose) is that phrase "breakng news." Some outlets have countered the overuse of the phrase by disguising it: "JUST IN," "Developing Story," "News Alert," "Breaking Now'" etc. If you look at it that way, every story that is relatively current has just broken.

Sheesh.

Then, the same people that have worked to sneak that phrase past your brain to get to your emotions, well, they want to make sure you know that it was THEM that broke said story. Media has become, for lack of a better phrase, a pi$$ing contest. Somewhere in there is the news. Can you find it?

Kid of a cerebral "Where's Waldo?"

I think it is a testament to the news days of old when a reporter has a source and uses it to the good of society. How is my life made better by knowing that reporter X got the scoop on Travis Hafner a full two days before the next reporter? And if someone has intimate knowedge or is thisclose to a story, they WILL have a scoop. The question is, does it matter?

Not so much.

The only way it really matters to me is in case of emergency. WHEN will the comet hit and WHERE? How much time do I have to get out of the way of the hurricane? WHICH baby foods are tainted?

See?

Compare that with the stories of sports signings, celebutante arrests, and DC namecalling.

That's NOT breaking news. That's a sign of newsmedia that is broken.