We live in the age of the 24 hour news cycle. Eons ago – at least it feels that long – newspapers and the evening news were the sole disseminaters of information to the public. Within that model were two editions of a newspaper, and one edition on TV. We had to wait for those specific times to get our news, which also gave those outlets several hours to check and double-check facts. This was a time when Edward R. Murrow was the most trusted man in America.
That trust has eroded. Journalists no longer hold such high regard amongst the public. Bias and opinion has seeped into the pages of our newspapers and onto our airwaves. Rumors are reported as though they are truth. Facts are sometimes checked, but also sometimes not double-checked.
This roots right back to the 24 hour news cycle. News must be instant now. There’s an insatiable appetite for news fueled by cable news networks and the internet. In the interest of informing the public instantly, the process that used to be afforded several hours to complete properly has been reduced to a mere few minutes. The temptation is not to be “right,” so much as it is to be “right now.”
When posting news stories on the internet, we can’t forget to complete the entire process of vetting sources and facts. The process needs to be done quickly, but that doesn’t mean that corners can be cut. The public’s need for information does not supersede our duty to give them the most accurate news. A scoop is only so if it’s accurate.
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