Buzz Machine on Eason - This is also about the speed of news. Back in the day of the news gatekeepers -- now long gone, whether they know it or not -- journalists could take their time reporting a story, for news wasn't news until they said it was. And that wasn't all bad: It allowed journalists to check facts, call sources, get it right.
But news got faster. All in all, that's good; we're informed faster.
But there are certainly issues. Witness the fog of war: Breaking News! We found a truck trailer that some expert says is used to make biological weapons. Later... Oh, nevermind, it's used to make yogurt.
That's an issue for the public; we have to learn to judge news better, to recognize that an early report can often be found to be a wrong report.
That's also an issue for newsmakers: You can say something you didn't mean to say or said in such a way that it is misinterpreted and your words will spread fast and so can the storms they cause. If you want to correct or clarify, there is no time to waste. Do it quickly and directly and talk to the people who are questioning you, the citizens.
And, obviously, this is an issue for news organizations: You can't take your sweet time reporting a story anymore, for the citizens will get ahead of you even without your resources and access. You should still get it right and do what it takes to do that, of course. But if you care about the truth, then you'd better go hunting it faster.
And, by the way, you're no longer the gatekeeper.
: And this is about the death of off-the-record at any event citizens attend. The WEF is now trying to decide whether the event was or wasn't off the record. Doesn't matter anymore, folks; that's irrelevant. The citizens in the room haven't agreed to play by your rules the way journalists have. If they hear something, they'll repeat it. If Jordan had, in fact, said that journalists were targeted as journalists by soldiers -- which he didn't; just speaking in the hypothetical here -- then how can anyone expect the citizens, the citizen journalists, the bloggers in the room to remain silent? They shouldn't.
The off-the-record gate has also fallen. |
