break the news vs recite

break the news

verb
  • To inform someone of something first, usually used when it will be difficult to tell the person. 

recite

verb
  • To repeat aloud (some passage, poem or other text previously memorized, or in front of one's eyes), often before an audience. 

  • To list or enumerate something. 

  • To deliver a recitation. 

How often have the words break the news and recite occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )