If you were watching local newscasts or news cable channels yesterday, you had a textbook case of an evolving story. The jargon, much overused these days, is "breaking." It means it's big and it's happening so moment-by-moment, reporters cannot give you the whole story.
First we heard that the King of Pop had collapsed and gone to the hospital. Then, depending on which network you were watching, we heard that he had cardiac arrest. Then, he was in a coma, and then several sources confirmed that Michael Jackson was dead at age 50.
Kudos to ABC. I was so enthralled with the coverage on that network that I didn't channel surf as I usually do on big stories. This morning, Robin Roberts said that Jackson provided "the sound track for a generation." What an apt description.
But what happens to you as a newsmaker when big, breaking news happens? Most of the time, your interview will get scrapped. The best course of action is to be gracious because there is nothing you can say that will convince a producer or guest scheduler to change his or her mind. Follow up when the story seems to die down and remind your contact that you were canceled due to wall-to-wall coverage of Michael Jackson (or whatever story that took priority over you).
Be nice and you will likely be re-booked if your story is still timely.
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