I Just Don't Get It

I was talking with a friend of mine earlier today who used to work in TV. It had been a while and it was nice to actually get him instead of his answering machine.

One thing that I admire about this guy is that he totally reinvented himself. It is impressive to me when I hear stories of people who leave everything they know, some without a plan, and become succesful in their new venture.

But I digress.....One of the things we were talking about was the overuse of the term "breaking news" and the misuse of "special reports".

Not that I'm old, but a "special report" used to mean something. When Reagan was shot or when the space shuttle Challenger exploded on lift off, those were "special report" worthy.

Now, we have special reports for photo opportunities. I remember watching Harry Smith anchoring a CBS News "special report" when John Edwards was first seen with John Kerry in 2004 after we already knew that John Edwards would be the running mate. So what!

I also remember when one of the Washington area snipers was being moved from jail to the court house for his trial and we covered it as "breaking news". If we knew it was going to happen, how can it be "breaking news"?

There is even a cable news show with the title "Special Report". Thank you Brit Hume. I like Brit Hume's work, it's the title I can live without.

Maybe I just don't get it, but when we are at war, and we all remember what happened on 9/11/2001 and we live in one of the most likely places for a terrorist attack, I feel that the term "breaking news" should be used with more restraint.