With all due respect for the noble profession - news reporting & journalism, a thread on what goes behind the scenes to prompt you to click a news article subtitled breaking news. Any relation to something topical is purely coincidental. 1/n.

Scene 1 : A crowd of 20-30 odd reporters are discussing something over cups of tea at the tea stall near Jaydev Bhawan. Folks are continuously checking WA for any source based news to cover on the day. Suddenly a person gets a call & he/she moves away talking animatedly. 2/n.

Scene 2 : Situation at the place of news waiting to be catapulted as sensational breaking news. Two AS officers are having a heated discussion on the quality of fish finger served to them at the club, one saying the item served at a popular hotel is way better. 3/n.

Cut to Scene 1 : Source to reporter - u know those two officers are having a fight on some issue. Come soon, you'll break this story before anyone else. He/She gathers his/her team and heads to club. The argument is continuing animatedly between the two AS officers. 4/n.

Scene 2 : The reporter feels he/she has a scoop, WAs the editorial team with the following text - 2 AS Officers having an animated argument over a Govt Policy. Editorial team springs into action, checks the traffic on the portal & other media channels. Fixes a time. 5/n.

Scene 2:Meanwhile other reporters have also gathered, phones are buzzing, WA notifications are popping furiously. Both the AS officers have moved on to Chicken Tikka meanwhile, oblivious to the commotion outside. Channel 1 has started with scrolls - Fight between AS Officers.6/n.

Sub Editors are busy scripting a story with the caption "Fight between AS Officers on Govt Policy". Editor Ji smiles at the prospect of such a scoop and gives a go ahead to the sensational breaking news. News Break on Live TV, Social Media & Web Portal simultaneously at 12. 7/n.

Scene 2 : Rightly on cue, other outlets with similar reach & parallel channels run the story. The 2 AS Officers are utterly shocked when the news flashes on the TV screen at the lounge and stare at each other in disbelief. A posse of reporters waiting outside are eager for bytes.

Scene 2 : Furious at this, the 2 AS Officers manage to whisk away from the scene without uttering a word. Gossips all over the state with news reaching the 4th Floor. A simple, harmless debate over Fish Finger has been blown out of proportion, no one knows the reason still.8/n.

Scene 1: Two diligent beat reporters covering Print check their WA, talk to their Editor Ji and laugh out loud on the "Broken News". Next day morning, the dailies cover it with the exact perspective, meanwhile damage has been done the previous day due to the urge for eyeballs.9/n

This thread is a figment of imagination & any relation to an event, person etc is purely coincidental. This mad rush for scoops, one-upism, sensationalism, ad revenues etc makes the news a secondary affair. Media needs to be objective, sensationalism can wait. Thread ends.10/10