CBS News Official Site: How to Access Breaking News and Top Stories

Updated

CBS News is available at cbsnews.com, which is the official site for its breaking news coverage, top stories, and video reports. Use that address directly if you want the network's own reporting rather than a search result, aggregator, or social media repost. The site is organized around a homepage feed plus section navigation for U.S., world, political, entertainment, sports, and business news, so you can either scan the latest headlines or go straight to a topic.

Confirming the official entry point

The official hostname is cbsnews.com. Its stated purpose is breaking news coverage of the day's top headlines, with reporting described as balanced and trustworthy.

A few practical checks before you start reading:

  • Type the domain into the address bar yourself instead of clicking an unfamiliar link.
  • Treat pages that copy CBS News headlines but sit on a different domain as third-party aggregators, not the official source.
  • If a link claims to be CBS News but the domain is a variation or misspelling, go back to cbsnews.com and search for the story there.

This matters most for breaking news, when misleading or outdated copies spread quickly.

Finding breaking news and top stories

The homepage is the fastest route to what is current. It carries the latest headlines and the day's biggest stories, which is what the site is built to surface first.

To use it well:

  1. Open cbsnews.com.
  2. Scan the top of the page for the lead stories — these are the items the newsroom is prioritizing right now.
  3. Look for labels or placement that indicate live or developing coverage when an event is still unfolding.
  4. Open a story, then check its timestamp and any update notes to see how recent it is.

Expected result: you land on the newest material without hunting through menus.

Common snag: a headline you saw elsewhere may already be updated or replaced on the homepage. If you can't find it, use search rather than assuming it was removed.

Browsing by section

CBS News organizes coverage into topic areas, so you can follow the subjects you care about instead of reading the general feed.

Section What you'll find there
U.S. news Domestic reporting and national stories
World news International coverage
Political news Politics and government reporting
Entertainment news Entertainment industry and culture stories
Sports news Sports results, teams, and events
Business news Markets, companies, and economic coverage

Use the navigation bar to move between these. If you follow one area regularly, going straight to its section is faster than scanning the homepage each time.

Using video and search

CBS News publishes news video alongside written reporting, so video is a first-class part of the site rather than an afterthought. If you prefer watching to reading, look for video items in the homepage feed and within section pages.

For anything specific — a named story, a person, or an older report — use the site's search rather than paging through sections. Search is the reliable way to reach past coverage, since the homepage only shows what is current.

Example task: you want a report from several weeks ago that is no longer on the homepage. Search the topic, then open the matching article or video from the results.

Following CBS News for updates

If you want continuing updates rather than one-off visits, the practical options are:

  • Return to cbsnews.com and check the homepage, which refreshes as stories develop.
  • Follow the section that matches your interest for a narrower feed.
  • Use the site's own follow or subscription options where they are offered.

The site's pricing signals do not indicate any paid tier or login requirement for reading its news coverage, so treat access as open unless a specific page tells you otherwise.

Quick answers

What is the official CBS News website? cbsnews.com.

Where do I find breaking news on it? The homepage, at the top, where the latest and biggest stories are placed.

How do I read only one topic? Use the navigation bar to open U.S., world, political, entertainment, sports, or business sections.

How do I find an older story? Use search on the site.

Is there video? Yes — news video is part of the site's coverage, not a separate product.