The digital age has fundamentally altered the velocity at which information travels, often outstripping the mechanisms of verification that once served as the gatekeepers of public discourse. In recent years, breaking news alerts have transitioned from occasional interruptions to a constant, high-decibel presence in daily life. Notifications flash across smartphone screens with relentless frequency, social media feeds race with unconfirmed headlines, and images claiming urgent societal developments are shared thousands of times before the dust of an event has even settled. One recurring phenomenon involves the circulation of messages such as: “BREAKING: New Jersey just declared a State of Emergency. Officials are urging people to stay off the streets.” Continue reading…
