Many of us turn to our phones when something strange happens in the neighborhood, using Twitter to track down an official tweet, news story or observation from a neighbor. But local news can get lost in crowded Twitter feeds, and finding local tweets can be a hassle.
The Breaking News app is rolling out an update today that lets users post their own news “tips” to the app’s feed, alerting nearby users to severe weather, power outages, fires and other events that may affect their day.
While the new feature may not solve the “What just happened?” question, it does help people track events happening around them. For example, if you report a spate of sirens passing your house and a neighbor reports a fire at a nearby storefront, you can connect the dots and see what’s happening without waiting for the standard news sources to pick it up.
However, the tipping feature won’t answer all your questions. While you can report something like police activity or a loud boom, you’ll have to wait for an official news source to dig in and find an answer.
The app doesn’t currently let you post further information even if you know the cause. But it can help people avoid delays surrounding a protest or just verify that they weren’t alone in hearing a weirdly loud noise.
You can download the Breaking News app, which is a unit of nbcnews.com and developed in Seattle, for iOS or Android now.
