Breaking News Brief

What This Skill Does

Generates a structured breaking news action plan when a major story breaks — what to publish first, what to verify before publishing, who to contact, what to hold.

When To Use This Skill

• A major story has broken in the last hour and you need to coordinate your newsroom's response quickly
• You have fragmentary information from social media, wire services, or a scanner and need to sort what is publishable now from what needs verification
• You are a small newsroom (1-5 reporters) and need to prioritize assignments for the first hours of a developing story
• You are a desk editor receiving conflicting reports and need a decision framework for what goes live and what waits
• You have just been alerted to a developing situation and want to avoid the two worst outcomes: publishing something wrong, or being the last outlet to publish something right

What You Need To Provide

Required: What you know so far about the event (raw facts, however fragmentary); the type of event (accident, natural disaster, political event, crime, public health, institutional crisis, economic event); what sources have reported so far (social media posts, wire alerts, scanner traffic, official statements — specify which); the size of your newsroom or number of reporters available; your publication type (daily newspaper, online-only, broadcast, wire service, magazine with a web presence).

Optional: Your publication's breaking news policy or editorial standards (if you have a written one); your deadline cycle (continuous web, hourly broadcast, next-day print); whether you have a photographer or video team available; any subject-matter expertise already in the newsroom (a reporter who covers the relevant beat); whether your publication has a legal counsel available for real-time consultation; the geographic relationship between your newsroom and the event (local outlet vs. national covering a local event).

How the Assistant Approaches This

Phase 1: Triage What You Know

1. Separates the information provided into three categories: Confirmed (sourced to an official statement, verified eyewitness, or established fact), Reported but unverified (social media, single-source tips, scanner traffic), and Unknown (questions the newsroom should be asking but does not yet have answers to). This triage is the foundation — everything else follows from it.

Phase 2: Build the First Report

2. Constructs an initial report structure from the Confirmed column only. This is what can go live immediately. The structure identifies the minimum viable story: what happened, where, when, and who reported it. It specifies what language to use for unconfirmed elements ("reports of," "according to," "could not be independently confirmed") and what to leave out entirely until verification is complete.

Phase 3: Verification Priorities

3. Builds a verification checklist from the Reported but Unverified and Unknown columns. Each item gets a priority level (verify before publishing, verify within one hour, verify by end of day) and a recommended verification method (call the official spokesperson, check the public record, send a reporter to the scene, cross-reference with a second source). The checklist is ordered by editorial risk — claims that could cause harm if wrong are at the top.

Phase 4: Source Hierarchy

4. Produces a source priority list tailored to the event type. For each source: who to call, why they matter, what question to ask them, and what their likely response time is. Sources are ranked by authority (official spokesperson first, then institutional sources, then on-scene witnesses, then secondary sources). The list includes a note on who not to rely on as a sole source and why.

Phase 5: Operational Plan

5. Generates the operational components: reporter assignments (who covers what), update cadence (how often to refresh the story), social media guidelines (what to post, what not to post, how to handle user-generated content), and editorial guardrails (what to avoid speculating about, when to attribute rather than assert, when to hold information for verification even under competitive pressure).

Phase 6: Follow-Up Angles

6. Identifies follow-up story angles that will matter once the breaking phase ends — the stories that emerge from the event but require reporting that cannot be done in the first hours. These are flagged for assignment once the immediate story stabilizes.

Output Format

Seven clearly labeled sections, in this order:

1. Situation Assessment — one paragraph summarizing what is known, what is reported but unverified, and what is unknown. No longer than 100 words. Written for a desk editor who needs to brief their team in 30 seconds.

2. First Report Structure — the minimum viable story that can be published immediately, built only from confirmed information. Structured as a bullet-point outline (not prose). Includes suggested attribution language for each element.

3. Verification Checklist — every unverified claim and unanswered question, ranked by editorial risk. Each item formatted as: Claim/Question, Priority (Before publication / Within 1 hour / By end of day), Verification method, Assigned to (reporter number or desk).

4. Source Priority List — who to call, in what order, with the specific question to ask each source and their expected response time. Organized as a numbered list with notes.

5. Reporter Assignments — who does what in the first 1-2 hours, given the number of reporters available. If only one reporter is available, the plan sequences tasks. If multiple reporters are available, the plan parallelizes.

6. Social Media and Update Cadence — what to post on social media and when, how often to update the published story, when to issue a correction vs. an update, and what not to post until verification is complete.

7. Follow-Up Story List — 3-6 story angles that will emerge once the breaking phase ends, with a one-line description of each and a note on what reporting each requires.

Total output length: 800-1,200 words. The plan must be scannable — a desk editor under pressure should be able to read any single section in under 30 seconds and act on it.

Ends with a "Next Step" note: the single most important action to take in the next 10 minutes, which section to revisit first as new information arrives, and whether to run fact-check-prompt once the first full draft is written.

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Quality Criteria

• Situation assessment distinguishes confirmed facts from unverified reports — no blending of the two
• First report structure contains only information that is confirmed or properly attributed as unconfirmed
• Verification checklist is ordered by editorial risk, not by the order information was received
• Source priority list includes specific questions to ask each source, not just "call for comment"
• Reporter assignments are realistic for the stated newsroom size — does not assign five tasks to one reporter in the same hour
• Social media guidelines include specific language for what to say and what not to say — not generic advice
• Follow-up story list contains angles that require reporting, not just restatements of the breaking story
• No speculation disguised as analysis — if a cause, motive, or outcome is unknown, the plan says so
• Attribution language is specific: "according to [source]," "reported by [outlet]," "could not be independently confirmed" — not vague hedging
• The plan accounts for the possibility that early reports are wrong — includes a protocol for correction
• Output is free of generic AI-template phrasing — no "delve into," "navigate the complexities of," Latinate filler verbs ("utilize," "facilitate," "leverage" where a plainer verb fits), restate-the-question intros, summary-of-the-summary closes, or em-dash overuse. (Required for stable — see Editorial Naturalness in tests/EVAL_FRAMEWORK.md.)
• Output includes at least one concrete next action the user can take in the next 10 minutes

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Example 1: Industrial Accident — Small Local Newsroom

Input

What is known: A chemical plant explosion was reported approximately 20 minutes ago in the Eastfield Industrial District, a zone with several manufacturing facilities on the southeast edge of the city. Two social media posts from accounts geolocated within half a mile show a large smoke plume. One post includes a 12-second video of black smoke rising from what appears to be a low industrial building. A second post, from a different account, says "huge explosion just shook our house, smells like chemicals." The city fire department scanner has dispatched multiple units to the 4200 block of Industrial Parkway. No official statements from any agency yet. No confirmed casualties.

Event type: Industrial accident (explosion at a chemical or manufacturing facility)

Sources so far: Two social media posts (neither from journalists or official accounts); fire department scanner traffic (dispatch, no details on what units found on arrival).

Newsroom size: 3 reporters available — one general assignment reporter currently in the office, one reporter who covers the environment and industry beat (reachable by phone, not in the office), one photographer who can be dispatched.

Publication type: Daily newspaper with a website that publishes breaking news online. Print deadline is 10 PM.

Output

Breaking News Action Plan — Reported Explosion, Eastfield Industrial District

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1. Situation Assessment

An explosion has been reported at or near a facility in the 4200 block of Industrial Parkway in the Eastfield Industrial District. The report is based on two social media posts showing smoke and fire department scanner traffic confirming multi-unit dispatch. No official source has confirmed the explosion, its cause, the facility involved, or any casualties. The situation is developing and all details beyond the dispatch are unverified.

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2. First Report Structure

Publish now, based on confirmed information only:

• Lede: Fire department units have been dispatched to the 4200 block of Industrial Parkway in the Eastfield Industrial District following reports of an explosion at an industrial facility. (Source: scanner traffic.)
• What is known: Multiple fire units dispatched. Social media posts from the area show a large smoke plume. (Attribute: "Social media posts from accounts near the scene show...")
• What is not known: The specific facility involved, the cause, whether anyone was injured, whether hazardous materials are involved.
• Attribution language: "Reports of an explosion," not "an explosion occurred." "Social media posts appear to show," not "photos show." "Fire department units have been dispatched to the area," not "fire department is responding to an explosion."
• Do not include: The word "chemical" in the headline or lede — the social media post mentioning a chemical smell is a single unverified source. Use "industrial facility" until the facility type is confirmed.
• Headline suggestion: "Fire crews respond to reported explosion in Eastfield Industrial District"

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3. Verification Checklist

#	Claim / Question	Priority	Method	Assign to
1	Which facility is involved? Name, address, what they manufacture or store.	Before publication of any update	Reporter 2 (beat reporter): check business registry for 4200 block Industrial Parkway. Cross-reference with EPA Toxics Release Inventory if facility handles hazardous materials.	Reporter 2
2	Are there casualties? Injuries? Fatalities?	Before publication of any update mentioning casualties	Call city fire department PIO. Call nearest hospital ER (ask whether they are receiving patients from the area — do not ask for patient details).	Reporter 1
3	Is there a hazardous materials risk? Evacuation order? Shelter-in-place?	Before publication — public safety implication	Call fire department PIO. Monitor city emergency management social media and alert systems. If HAZMAT units were dispatched (check scanner), note this in the story with attribution.	Reporter 1
4	What caused the explosion?	Within 1 hour — do not speculate before confirmation	Fire department or facility statement. Do not publish a cause until an official source states it.	Hold for official source
5	Are the social media posts authentic? Are the accounts real local residents?	Within 1 hour	Check account history, geolocation metadata, post consistency. Do not embed or republish the posts without verification.	Reporter 1 (desk check)
6	What does the facility's safety record look like? Previous violations?	By end of day	OSHA inspection database, EPA enforcement records, state environmental agency records.	Reporter 2
7	Are nearby businesses or residents affected? Road closures?	Within 1 hour	Police department PIO, city transportation department, on-scene observation.	Photographer (when on scene)

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4. Source Priority List

1. City Fire Department Public Information Officer — First call. Ask: "Can you confirm an explosion at [address]? Are there casualties? Is there a hazardous materials concern? Is an evacuation in effect?" Expected response time: 15-30 minutes (PIO may be en route to the scene and unavailable immediately; leave a message and call back in 15 minutes).

2. City Emergency Management Office — Second call. Ask: "Has an emergency alert or evacuation order been issued for the Eastfield Industrial District?" Expected response time: 10-20 minutes. They may issue a public alert before the fire department PIO is available.

3. Facility operator or parent company — Third call (once the facility is identified). Ask: "Can you confirm the incident? How many people were on site? What materials are stored or processed at this facility?" Expected response time: 30-60 minutes minimum. Corporate communications will likely need to draft a statement. Do not hold your story for their response.

4. Nearest hospital emergency department — Fourth call. Ask: "Are you receiving patients from the Eastfield Industrial District?" Do not ask for names, conditions, or numbers of specific patients — HIPAA restrictions apply. A general "yes, we are receiving patients" is publishable with attribution. Expected response time: immediate, but the answer may be "we cannot comment."

5. Police department PIO — Fifth call. Ask: "Are there road closures or an evacuation perimeter?" This source confirms scene logistics, not the event itself. Expected response time: 15-30 minutes.

6. State environmental agency — Not for the first hour. Call later in the day for the facility's compliance history, previous violations, and any pending enforcement actions.

Do not rely on as sole source: Social media eyewitnesses (they report what they saw and smelled, which is valuable context but not confirmation of cause, scale, or casualties). Other news outlets (their reports may be based on the same unverified social media posts you have).

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5. Reporter Assignments

Reporter 1 (general assignment, in office) — Desk coordination, first 60 minutes:

• Publish the initial web story (Section 2 above) within 15 minutes
• Call fire department PIO and emergency management (Sources 1 and 2)
• Verify social media posts (Checklist item 5)
• Update the web story every 15-20 minutes as new confirmed information arrives
• Coordinate with Reporter 2 and Photographer by phone

Reporter 2 (environment/industry beat, remote) — Source identification and background:

• Identify the facility at 4200 block Industrial Parkway — business name, owner, what they produce or store
• Check EPA Toxics Release Inventory and OSHA inspection history for the facility
• Call the facility operator or parent company (Source 3)
• Prepare background paragraph on the facility for the next web update
• Once facility is identified, determine whether hazardous materials are stored on site

Photographer — Scene, depart immediately:

• Drive to the Eastfield Industrial District. Do not enter any evacuation perimeter.
• Photograph the smoke plume, emergency response vehicles, any evacuation activity, road closures
• Note the addresses of the closest buildings to the scene and whether they appear damaged
• Call Reporter 1 with on-scene observations: what is visible, how many fire trucks, whether police have set up a perimeter, whether residents appear to be evacuating
• If safe and permitted, speak to people near the scene — residents, workers from nearby businesses. Get names, ages, and one quote. Do not approach the facility or emergency responders working at the scene.

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6. Social Media and Update Cadence

Post immediately on social media:

• "BREAKING: Fire crews are responding to a reported explosion in the Eastfield Industrial District. Details are developing. We will update as we confirm information. [link to web story]"
• Do not post: the social media video or photos until the accounts are verified. Do not describe the smoke as "chemical" or "toxic" — that is unverified.

Update cadence for the web story:

• Update every 15-20 minutes for the first hour, even if the update is "no new confirmed information."
• Mark every update with a timestamp at the top of the story: "Updated 2:45 PM — Fire department confirms..."
• Each update adds new confirmed information. Do not remove previously published information unless issuing a correction.

Correction protocol:

• If an early report turns out to be wrong (wrong address, wrong facility, wrong number of casualties), publish a correction at the top of the story, timestamped, explaining what was wrong and what the correct information is. Do not silently edit.

What not to post on social media:

• Do not speculate about the cause ("possible gas leak," "may be related to chemicals stored on site") until an official source states it
• Do not post unverified casualty numbers — "reports of injuries" is acceptable only if attributed to a named source
• Do not share user-generated video or photos without verification and permission
• Do not name the facility until you have confirmed its identity independently (not from social media alone)

User-generated content policy:

• If readers or followers send photos or videos, verify the sender's identity and location before publishing. Ask: "Were you there? Can I use your name and this image in our coverage?"
• Do not embed social media posts from unverified accounts in the story

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7. Follow-Up Story List

1. Facility safety record — Has this plant been cited for safety violations before? What did OSHA inspections find? Were violations corrected? (Requires: OSHA database search, state records, possible FOIA for inspection reports. Reporter 2 can start today.)

2. Emergency response effectiveness — How quickly did fire, HAZMAT, and EMS units arrive? Was the response adequate for the scale of the event? Were mutual aid agreements activated? (Requires: Post-incident interviews with fire chief, review of dispatch timeline. Start tomorrow.)

3. Community impact and health concerns — What are residents near the facility experiencing? Are there air quality concerns? Has the local health department issued advisories? (Requires: Door-to-door reporting in the neighborhood, health department interview, air quality monitoring data. Start tomorrow.)

4. Regulatory oversight — Who regulates this type of facility? How often is it inspected? Is the regulatory framework adequate? (Requires: Interviews with state environmental agency, federal EPA regional office, industry experts. Start within 48 hours.)

5. Land use and zoning — How close are residential areas to the industrial district? When was the facility built relative to the surrounding neighborhood? Has the community raised concerns before? (Requires: Zoning maps, city planning department interview, community meeting records. Start within 48 hours.)

6. Worker accounts — What was it like inside the facility at the time of the explosion? Were safety protocols followed? Were workers trained for this scenario? (Requires: Off-the-record conversations with current and former employees. May take days to develop sources. Reporter 2 should begin outreach once the facility is identified.)

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Next Step: Reporter 1 publishes the initial web story now — use the First Report Structure above as the outline. While that publishes, call the fire department PIO (Source 1). The PIO confirmation or denial is the single piece of information that will most change the story in the next 10 minutes. Revisit the Verification Checklist as each item is resolved — cross off confirmed items and add new questions as they emerge. Once a full narrative draft exists (likely 2-3 hours into coverage), run fact-check-prompt on the draft before the print deadline.

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Example 2: Political Resignation — Mid-Size Regional Outlet

Input

What is known: The state governor's chief of staff resigned effective immediately, according to a one-paragraph statement released by the governor's press office 35 minutes ago. The statement thanks the chief of staff "for years of dedicated service" and says "the governor will name an interim chief of staff in the coming days." No reason for the resignation is given. The chief of staff has not made a public statement. A political reporter at a rival outlet posted on social media 10 minutes ago that the resignation is "connected to an ongoing federal investigation" but provided no details or sourcing. Your publication's capital bureau chief has heard similar rumors from two legislative sources over the past week but has not been able to confirm them.

Event type: Political event (sudden high-level resignation with possible legal implications)

Sources so far: Governor's press office statement (official, one paragraph); rival outlet reporter's social media post (unverified, no sourcing cited); two legislative sources who mentioned rumors to bureau chief last week (background only, no on-record confirmation).

Newsroom size: 2 reporters available — one capital bureau chief who covers state politics, one general assignment reporter at the main office.

Publication type: Online regional news outlet, publishes continuously. No print edition.

Output

Breaking News Action Plan — Chief of Staff Resignation

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1. Situation Assessment

The governor's chief of staff has resigned immediately. The governor's office confirmed the departure in a brief statement that gave no reason. A rival outlet's reporter has connected the resignation to "an ongoing federal investigation" on social media, without sourcing. Your bureau chief has heard similar rumors from two legislative sources but has nothing confirmed. The resignation itself is confirmed and publishable. The reason for the resignation is not confirmed and should not be stated as fact.

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2. First Report Structure

Publish now, based on the official statement only: