The Immediacy of Online Journalism, Jesse Snyder

Online Reporting and How It has Changed Journalism

Generally speaking, one of most substantial effects the Internet has had on journalism is that the news is being delivered faster than ever. Rather than having set deadlines the way traditional journalists did, a reporter's stories are now expected to be done instantaneously - sometimes within minutes. Without the printing press, journalists' deadlines are more like "NOW" than "in a few hours." Verifying information often comes second to delivering news that is immediate. As the immediacy of news increases, its credibility seemingly decreases. This leaves editors and reporters with the responsibility of conveying news quickly while including credible sources and factual information.

Although the immediacy of web-based reporting gives the news to readers faster than ever, there have been a few instances where major newspapers chose to run inaccurate information for the sake of posting instant news. After a Twitter posting by someone claiming to be Gordon Lightfoot's grandson suggested the singer had passed away, newspapers around North America followed suit, confirming that he was about to be buried six feet under. A blog post written by David Akin, who was responsible for alerting many of the CanWest reporters who published the story, asserted that many people blamed Twitter for the misguidance. Akin went on to explain that it was not Twitter that caused the misinformation but the fact that the there is no screening process on social media sites. Usually alerts between newspapers would be confirmed or denied before going to press, but because Twitter is used by the public, it caught on like wild fire. Twitter has serious potential in journalism he says, but only if used correctly - or at least only as the origin of a story and not the source itself.

When news is expected to be delivered as quickly as it is, these inaccuracies are inevitable. Naturally stories take time to verify, so the news should only move as fast as the story, and not jump ahead too far. As Kevin Penny wrote in his blog post, "Although I will digress that the Internet supplies vast amounts of information to the general public, we as a society must learn to use it responsibly." This sums up the need for the public - and more importantly the media - to use the Internet and its social media sites only as a basis for information. Both accuracy and immediacy are mainstays of journalism, but it is the reporters job to put in the effort and verify its facts... And do it fast.

Note: Image from blueopossum.homestead website.