Do you think it would be appropriate for Wikinews to have a "breaking news" mailing list that people could subscribe to? For example, CNN has a list, MSNBC, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Perhaps it could be:

wikinews-breaking-l@lists.wikimedia.org

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Dodge Story
Journalist, Wikinews
http://www.wikinews.org

DISCLAIMER:
I do not represent the Wikimedia Foundation in any way shape or form. I have been accredited by the Wikinews community.