For true breaking news, speed matters most because news value drops fast. Based on the community advice, a practical approach is to contact a few major news organizations immediately and let them compete, rather than accepting the first offer. Larger outlets usually have bigger budgets than smaller ones.

If the image or footage is likely to have longer-term reuse value, don’t necessarily sell all rights outright. License it instead, ideally on a per-use basis, so you can keep earning from later uses. Large editorial stock/photo agencies can also be useful for this kind of material because they already sell to media companies and may help negotiate better rates.

Also be aware that viral or sensational content is often copied without permission. Copyright enforcement can be difficult and may require active monitoring or even legal help. So, keep clear proof that you created the work, and be cautious about giving away full ownership unless the payment clearly justifies it.

In short: move fast, create competition among major buyers, prefer licensing over selling all rights if future reuse is likely, and be prepared to defend your copyright.