Well, maybe not really breaking news.

I cannot take credit for this thought but I have to say it stuck with me. A Sunday morning news commentator posited the following observation which resonated with me.

Do you remember the feeling that came along with that ominous, but extraordinarily rare, announcement of “Breaking News”? I do. It was that feeling that said stand up and pay attention because something big had just happened; something out of the ordinary, sometimes scary and often very sad.

Have you ever thought about how often we hear “Breaking News” today? I was home for a good part of the day Sunday with various news channels in the background. (It was cold out and I was making beef stew. It was delicious, by the way). I counted in the course of an hour – 12 “Breaking News” moments complete with banners running across the screen.

Frankly, most of what was being broadcast wasn’t really “breaking” news as I think about it. Sure, things happening in our country and the world that deserve our attention but not by the definition I remember growing up. The definition itself requires a conclusion that 12 moments in one hour defeats the analysis.

Just something to think about.