Breaking news isn't breaking news

As a journalist, I feel it is important for me to keep updated on current events. I have downloaded an ABC News application on my iPhone and read the headlines and usually some interesting stories throughout the day. I also subscribe to breaking news update e-mails from ABC as well.

Recently, I have begun to think about un-subscribing. The e-mails I receive about breaking news isn't breaking news. For example:

• While I do think that the stock market is important in the current economic crisis, I don't need e-mail updates when it does well or doesn't do well. 
• Tiger Woods has been in the entertainment news section for awhile now and that's fine. He's a public figure and has voluntarily put himself in the spotlight. People will find out what he does wrong. But I don't need a breaking news update e-mail about how his mother-in-law was rushed to the hospital. That can be a story, sure. But I don't need an e-mail.
• A senator from Connecticut was diagnosed with cancer. That's unfortunate, I agree, but it's not breaking news. Don't send me an e-mail about it. Post a story online if you think it's that newsworthy.

Things I do think are breaking news worthy:

• Honda recalled nearly 40,000 cars. If I drove a Honda, I would like to know this. While I drive a Ford, it's still nice to know that I shouldn't plan on buying a Honda any time soon and I can also warn my friend who do drive the specific Honda they recalled.
• The Fort Hood killings. I found out about it from an e-mail update and went to follow the story online, on TV, on Twitter, and on Facebook. It was something of such a huge national impact that it deserved to be in my inbox.

If I ever had the chance to pick one thing to change about Journalism, this would be it. The definition of breaking news needs to be changed.

Rewind

After thinking for weeks about my next topic for this blog and researching other's blogs to see what they did when they were first starting out, I've decided that I should probably introduce myself.

• I was born in Keene, New Hampshire. I have lived in Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas, and now Missouri as well. I finished high school in Texas when my parents moved back to New Hampshire, this time landing 2 hours away from Keene in Portsmouth. I can't say that I'm a huge fan of New Hampshire, but when the stress gets to me here, I like going back to the simplicity of life that I remember from my childhood days there. Plus, my family and best friend are there. What more could a girl ask for? Okay I could use a little more heat there.

• I am in college for journalism but I originally had a minor in French as well. However, I decided that after 7 years of French education, I had had enough. It was the same thing over and over with only a few extra vocabulary words. I love the language still and would some day love to travel in France.

• My dream wasn't always journalism like many of my peers can admit. My oldest cousin attended Princeton and my dream was to always follow in her footsteps but then continue onto Harvard Law. Once I started in the journalism program in my high school, I changed my mind about my major and was thoroughly disappointed to learn that neither Princeton, Harvard, Yale, or Notre Dame offered a program in broadcast journalism. That's okay though. I'm in the #1 Journalism School in the world. Can't get much better than that!

• After the 4 years of high school broadcast classes, I decided my dream job would be to become a producer for an ABC News affiliate and later work up to Good Morning America. While I would still like to be a producer for ABC, the 3 am wake up call to go into work for GMA has made me rethink that aspect. I'd settle for World News with Charles Gibson.

• I love "people watching". Most people think I'm super shy because of it, but deep down I'm not that shy. I don't know if it's because of my "journalistic instincts" that kick in, but I love knowing everything about everyone. I like knowing their story and part of me thinks that you can learn a lot about someone by watching them. 

• I love music of any kind. I like pop and country, rock and classical. My father sang me Beatles songs as a kid and he helped my love for music grow by exposing me to all different kinds. 

• More than 50% of my time in the "work force" has been spent working with children. Recently, I began working for a debt collection law firm. It was a struggle at first to learn all of the different rules for the different states we work in, but I've caught on and I love it. It's also helped me in school work too, as I am currently taking 3 classes with law in them (Communications Law, Religion and Law, and Criminology). The things I learn at the law firm are brought up in class. I've even had questions about things I do on a daily basis at work on tests. 

• I have three best friends. I'm not one of those people who say you can only have one BEST friend. It surprises me that two of them are girls (with the same name) considering I've always had more guy friends than girls (less drama). But I always make it a point to be in relationships where my significant other becomes another best friend. It's probably why I am still close with a few ex-boyfriends. 

I think that's all I'll say for now. If something pops up, I'll add it along the way.