The NPR show “On the Media” does a wonderful job of explaining how a breaking news story is often one that involves a lot of guessing without much verifying.
It has provided a “Handbook” for consumers that outlines what often happens with a major breaking news event. (You can listen to the Podcast below.)
Take today’s story of the mass shooting in France at a newspaper office. Initial reports by mainstream news sources such as CNN, USA Today and others have reported 9, 10, 11 or 12 deaths.
During various periods those media outlets have said there was a lone gunman. That has since escalated to two and now three.
Part of the problem is with the rise of the Internet and instant “news,” even legitimate news outlets often report “facts” without taking the time to bother to get a second source for verification.
Another problem is news outlets have eliminated many of its veteran anchors/editors/reporters over the years in cost-cutting measures. Many were professional journalists with sources they had cultivated over the years who they could call on for information.
If you operate a business one way to eliminate the guesswork during a crisis is to react quickly and have a SINGLE person as a source for information. That person should regularly update the news media and provide as much information as possible (considering legal, competitive, community, employee, etc., implications).
In time the media will eventually get the story correct in the French newspaper shootings. Until then it’s anyone’s guess…
GOD MADE EDITORS
“When” and “where” can be relatively immediate. “Who”, “What”, and “Why” can wait. That’s why God made editors.
“AMEN” FOR 3!
Can I get an “Amen” for #3? I worked for newspapers for years and so I’m a bit biased, but I think they have stricter standards for getting the correct source. Sometimes it’s because they have a different set of deadlines.
I work for a local government and most public officials in our area receive training for how to handle exactly this type of issue through the Kansas Division of Emergency Management. We know to wait to put out news information until we’ve figured out who the lead information source is going to be. Our Kansas Association of Public Information Officer group had one of the police officers who served as the information officer during the Aurora, Colorado theater shootings a few years ago. They learned the importance of using social media sites as their tool for putting out press releases. That way, reporters can get information directly from Facebook/Twitter when they’re too lazy to call you.
REAL JOURNALISM
Does anyone remember the near debacle on ABC when anchor Frank Reynolds almost reported President Reagan as having died after the assassination attempt in 1981. He said on air: “”Let’s get it nailed down…somebody…let’s find out! Let’s get it straight so we can report this thing accurately!”