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Some thoughts on breaking news.

Matt Drudge tells Britain’s Sky News the secret to a good news Website is “keep it jumping” and media writer Steve Outing says when it comes to breaking news, “holding on to it for even a short while means you’ll likely be beaten by eyewitnesses sharing what they know, and that information spreading virally.”

Outing suggests Twitter could be one platform for breaking news and got some cool pointers from the Twitter folks.

 Kevin Anderson in the UK picks up on Outing’s thoughts and has some ideas of his own in “Newspapers can break news again.”

I thought how a Knoxville computer programmer and Twitter Doug McCaughan covered a high school football game Friday night was innovative:

Game over. Field stormed. Final score bearden 28. Farragut 14. Well played by both teams! 09:14 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Bearden runs half the field for a touchdown! Bearden 28. Farragut 14. Field about to be stormed by the students. 09:08 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Farragut punts. Bearden has possession at farragut 35 with 2:41 left in the 4th. 09:05 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Farragut qb number 10 okay to walk off field 09:03 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Farragut making wild passes. Farragut quarter back injured. 09:01 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Score bearden 21. Farragut 14. 08:59 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Bearden leads 21 to 14 08:57 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Bearden on the 7 yard line with 4 minutes left in the 4th. Touchdown! 08:57 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Bearden making short runs to bring the clock down. In field goal range. 08:54 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Bearden defense giving farragut running game a hard way to go. Farragut passing game strong. Bearden now has possession at farragut 26. 08:47 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Bearden punts to farragut 34. 1 minute left in the 3rd quarter. 08:41 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Farragut attempts a field goal and misses 08:35 PM November 23, 2007 from txt

Farragut intercepts. Has ball on bearden 24. Its cold out here! 08:32 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Farragut touchdown 08:26 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Bearden leading 14 to 7 with 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. Another on side kick leaves farragut with possession at the bearden 43. 08:25 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Bearden touchdown! 08:22 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Bearden accidentally did an on side kick while kicking off in the beginning of the 3rd quarter. 08:19 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

4th and 2 field goal attempt by bearden blocked by farragut 07:51 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Beautiful full moon. Air crisp. Very clear sky. 07:39 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Bearden vs Farragut tie game in 2nd quarter 7 to 7 07:37 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

For high school football on the day after thanksgiving i have to park a mile from the stadium! 06:41 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

Heading to bhs to watch bearden beat farragut. And freeze. 06:29 PM November 23, 2007 from txt  

McCaughan wasn’t a journalist covering the game and his report would have never made Drudge. The story from the newspaper journalist covering the game, which appeared online later in the evening online and in the paper the next morning, was a better read.

But McCaughan’s Twitter posts had an immediacy that captured the drama and tension of a playoff game between two arch-rivals. It was breaking news to the people that wanted to know. It was news of the moment.

Update: He blogs about Twittering the high school game.

And in one of those strange but true twists, if it had been done from the press box by a press credential bearing journalist at an NCAA sporting event, it likely would have been verboten as play-by-play coverage. Journalist aren’t the only ones who need to think in new ways.

Update: Some more thoughts from Outing.
Update III: Newscoma adds additional perspective at Music City Bloggers.
Update IV: Ryan Sholin on technologies to break news.

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