- Information moves fast between journalism and social media
- Prudence, good judgement and fact-checking still matter – it’s not about who gets it first, but who gets it right
—
There is an often used quote that involves a lie, the truth, traveling the globe and either pants or shoes…I forgot which. The point of drawing on this quote involves two recent news events surrounding:
- Paul Krugman – American economist, professor and op-ed columnist for The New York Times
- Elisabeth Hasselbeck, co-host of the daytime talk show The View
These individuals were victims of misinformation. With Krugman, news of the economist’s bankruptcy began as satire and was quickly picked up as a legitimate story by major news outlets, where it then spread like wildfire. For Hasselbeck, a rumor she was dismissed for doing her job emerged after the announcement of her co-host’s resignation; it was almost immediately rebuffed by her boss, Barbara Walters. In both circumstances, it seems like the stories were too delicious and salacious to be true. As it turns out: they were.
These stories demonstrate the dangerous, integrated grey area of online journalism and social media. The simple act of repeating, retweeting or reposting content prior to researching or fact-checking is too common. Omitting this exercise in the race to be first is irresponsible in professional communications.