Covering the death of a global superstar is about sensitivity as well as speed

After the shock death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash, Lawrence Ostlere reflects on breaking news in the digital age

Death of an icon: Bryant in action for the LA Lakers (AFP via Getty)

When a major story breaks, especially one as shocking as the death of a global sports icon, it jolts a newsroom into action.

TMZ, a Los Angeles-based entertainment news website with a track record of exclusives when it comes to the death of American celebrities, tweeted that Kobe Bryant, the retired basketball star, had died in a helicopter accident. Most famously TMZ was the first organisation to break the news of Michael Jackson dying in his LA mansion, and also broke the deaths of both Whitney Houston and Prince. As Matthew Belloni, editorial director of The Hollywood Reporter, explained this week: “If TMZ reports that a celebrity has died in Los Angeles County, it is almost always correct.”

Bryant had not yet been officially named, but having done our own verification on the report, we published our breaking story.

As news travelled across the internet, it was our job to track down the source of any information. This is always a challenge, but by this point a number of people across The Independent were on the case. Our US desk from New York to the west coast were well underway making enquiries and writing an obituary. Our social team suggested starting a live blog to keep on top of events. The news desk began collating the many tributes to Bryant, from basketball players to Barack Obama. And the sports team continued to sift through the breaking news, verifying the fact from the possible fiction.

In the age of digital journalism, breaking stories move quickly – growing and evolving as you report them. This felt especially true on Sunday. Eventually the pace slowed a little when officials shone light on the accident, confirming that nine people had died including Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna – a talented basketball player herself with dreams of playing in the WNBA. It was only then, a few hours after the story broke, that there was finally a moment to stop and reflect on the tragic, seismic news.

Yours,

Lawrence Ostlere

Sports feature editor