Daily Express online hacks are set to drop one of their favourite headline tricks after being rapped on the knuckles by the press watchdog.
For some time, reporters had been encouraged to write headlines for otherwise routine stories suggesting the BBC had halted its output for an ‘urgent news alert’, with digital bosses saying it was good for SEO (search engine optimisation).
Recent examples include ‘BBC Breakfast paused for breaking news as ‘national emergency’ announced’ (there were wildfires in France), ‘BBC Breakfast paused for breaking news alert – and it’s bad news for Trump’ (Israel and Hezbollah had been exchanging fire’, ‘BBC Breakfast halted for devastating breaking news’ (the price cap on energy bills had risen by 2%) and ‘BBC News halted for breaking King Charles alert that will upset viewers’ (his trip to the US was going ahead).
Now a reader has complained that these stories were not breaking news requiring pauses, but merely standard reports in normal news shows. IPSO, the press watchdog, received a complaint about a story headlined ‘BBC Breakfast issues urgent news alert in humiliating blow to Keir Starmer’.
It wasn’t an urgent news alert, but chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman reporting on BBC Breakfast that 40 Labour MPs had sent a letter to Keir Starmer stating that they were not prepared to support proposals to limit jury trials. “While the number is large, I don’t think the government will be especially worried about what this says about their ability to get their proposals through the House of Commons,” sniffed Zeffman of the “humiliating blow”.
IPSO have now ruled against the Express, saying the report breached its accuracy rules. The paper published an apology saying: “In an article dated 18 December 2025, we incorrectly reported that ‘BBC Breakfast issues urgent news alert in humiliating blow to Keir Starmer’.
“In fact, this refers to a news story about the government’s proposals regarding trial by jury, delivered on BBC Breakfast by chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman. We are happy to clarify this and the article has been amended accordingly.”
Express staff have now been told to end their little wheeze, lest bosses get tied up with endless IPSO complaints.
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