Spot News
I usually view spot news as the polar opposite of general news; it covers unplanned events such as house fires, plane crashes, car accidents, robberies, and riots. Some general news stories may lead to unforeseen events and inadvertently become spot news. For example, a crazed assailant opens fire on a peaceful political rally, or a NASCAR driver suddenly wrecks and dies. Spot news is unpredictable and spontaneous, which makes it such an elusive target. Occasionally, a photographer inadvertently happens upon the scene of a wreck, but in most cases the vigilant photographer who frequently listens to local police and fire scanners gets the scoop. These types of events are often dramatic, traumatic, and short in duration.
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