You’re a brand new reporter on the police desk at a small community newspaper.  It’s a lazy Saturday afternoon in late September. A light breeze is wafting through the town. There’s a big high school football game scheduled for tonight, but other than that, it’s looking like another slow news day…

… and then, suddenly, the emergency dispatch scanner crackles to life:

“Calling all cars. Calling all cars! We’ve got a 10-41 in progress at 15 S. Main Street, First Community Bank. Once again, that’s a one-zero-four-one at one-five South Main Street. All officers on duty report immediately to 15 South Main Street for a 10-41 in progress. SWAT team, please deploy immediately!”

Welcome to Newfourth’s new Breaking News Exercise — an interactive, experiential learning activity in which students are confronted with real-time, high-pressure journalistic decisions, racing to “Get it first, but get it right.”

Visit the exercise page at http://breakingnewsexercise.blogspot.com/