Speed vs accuracy in online journalism

Laura OliverJournalism.co.uk

@lauraoliver

First or fast?

News organisations face a starker choice online between:

• First with the news BUT not always right?

• Last with the news BUT more accurate reporting?

But:

“How fast is too fast, when news must be more than mere glorified rumours? And how much accuracy is too much,

when news must be current?”

[Paper on online journalism ethics, University of Wisconsin]

Case study: London 7/7 bombings

• Sky News ran with rumours that the blasts had been caused by bombs.

• It updated with facts and reported previous claims as false as events progressed.

• The BBC continued to report ‘a power surge’ until the bombs had been officially confirmed.

“News does not usually break cleanly. Big storiesemerge in dribs and drabs, bits of information from manysources - often conflicting and confusing. At Sky News wespecialise in drawing together all these strands to try to

makesense of them - as they happen.

“We have always believed in taking the audience into our confidence and sharing facts as soon as possible. That means that when a big news story is unfolding we report new information, clearly attributed to itssource, even if subsequently things turn outdifferently.”

[John Ryley, head of Sky News]

“In what ways is the internet changing the fundamental values of journalism?”

Loosening standards/less carefulness 45%

Allowing others to have a voice (good/bad) 31%

Emphasis on speed (good/bad) 25%

[Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism2009 State of the News Media study]

Reporting speculation and verification

“Facts can be very misleading. Rumours - true or false - are always revealing.”

[Inglourious Basterds]

Case study: Mumbai bomb attacks

“[O]n a major unfolding story there is a case also for simply monitoring, selecting and passing on the information we are getting as quickly as we can, on the basis that many people will want to know what we know and what we are still finding out, as soon as we can tell them.”

[Steve Herrmann, editor, BBC News website]

BBC’s live updates

Ushahidi.com

Is first best?

• Online exacerbates spread of ‘rumour’ reports by news organisations

• Need to have equally strong viral effect for correction

• Repurposing of reports by non-journalists can remove attribution and disclaimers

• News organisation should provide more than real-time aggregation - however useful this might be

Threat to long-form journalism?

“While sites like Twitter ask users to define their world in 140 characters or less, and speed – above accuracy or content – is the competitive force fuelling online news outlets, some contextual, interpretive and analytical modes of journalism are fading away.

“By cutting immersive journalism in favour of less expensive, superficial forms, the newspaper industry risks losing everything that has made it a valuable medium for 300 years.”

[OJR report, Emily Henry, June 2009]

Sources

delicious.com/lauraatjournalism.co.uk/online_vs_accuracy

Contact details

Laura Oliverhttp://www.journalism.co.ukhttp://blogs.journalism.co.uk/editors

Twitter: @lauraoliverEmail: laura@journalism.co.ukPersonal:

http://pebbledash.wordpress.com