In over five years of writing this blog I have had very few rants or stood on my soap box.  But today I am going to put something out there and see what you think…

Is it okay for them to report incorrect information?  I think not.

This week I heard on three separate occasions journalists reporting so called “facts” about the Malaysian MH17 disaster in the Ukraine and on all three occasions the person they were interviewing had to correct them because the points they were reporting as fact had already been proven as incorrect and reported as so.

In a relatively new phenomenon, the rush to be the first with the news and remain relevant, i.e. beating Twitter and Facebook posts, seems to have journalists rushing to air without checking their sources ensuring what they are saying is correct.  Ten years ago this would have been unheard of.  Mainly because historically journalists cultivated sources, they dug and dug deep and investigative journalism was something to be admired.  Today I am not so sure.  It seems the good investigative journalists are being bypassed or asked to simply convey what they are observing because their tradecraft takes too long and by the time they come to the public with the full story the news cycle has moved on and their story may no longer topical.

As an Intelligence Officer with the police we followed something called the Three Source Rule.  It is a simple and effective rule and it basically states wherever possible try and corroborate any piece of information via three independent sources.  While it was not always possible it was a great rule of thumb.  The one caveat was, and this is where the work came in, you needed to follow the information and ensure the three sources came about the information in a separate, credible and reliable way.  Basically we needed to check one person wasn’t running around making stuff up and everyone else was just talking about what they had been told by that person.

Bringing my little media issue full circle.  I am concerned that as information is recycled and reposted, one piece of incorrect information can quickly be re-reported by multiple blogs, social media and even traditional media and what was previously speculation is now confirmed as fact because everyone is reporting the same information.

What do you think?  Is our need for fast news eroding the authority of journalists who are forced to report whatever they can quickly and just apologise for it later?

The role of media is very important and it can sway public opinion very quickly, I just think it should be based on a little more than Chinese whispers.

Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

 

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