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This Just In…
Are scoop-chasing journalists blinded by pursuit of glory?
January 24, 2012
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| Ap/Wide World Photos |
The breaking news on Saturday evening that former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno had died — proven wrong when Paterno’s family announced his death the next morning — shows the hazards journalists invite by rushing to get the story first, Craig Silverman writes for Poynter.org. CBS Sports and other major news outlets picked up the premature report of Paterno’s passing from a student news organization called Onward State, which in turn helped spread the erroneous news on Twitter.
When CBS Sports relayed the false report to its Twitter followers, it didn’t mention Onward State. It wasn’t until the news was proven false that CBS mentioned Onward State as the source, Silverman reports. The Huffington Post reportedly said that it had also failed to credit Onward State for the initial report.
Onward State quickly apologized and its managing editor reportedly announced he was stepping down. By comparison, CBS Sports was slow to admit that it had published false information after failing to verify the original report. MSNBC.com’s BreakingNews reportedly also issued an apology. You’re only remembered for getting the story first when it’s wrong, Silverman says, so save being first for real, enterprising scoops, with the appropriate context and restraint. — Greg Beaubien
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