[quote author=dooley_womack1]
So you're really OK with just passing along any old shirt on your Twitter and not taking any responsibility?[/quote]
You got it! Exactly what I'm saying. I've written in every post it's important to use discretion and not just pass along anything...such as the example of the kid reporter in Kansas saying Mack Brown will be fired.
buckweaver said:
JPsT said:
Like everything, you don't want to do it indiscriminately, but I don't think you're the one wiping egg off your face when you RT a bad scoop.
If you are covering that beat, or you are a reporter expected to break news about a similar subject ... then yes, you are wiping egg off your face for passing along bad information. Your entire job description is to do exactly the opposite.
How is the retweet of a bad scoop any different from writing an incorrect story based on bad information from a trusted source? You're still the one sending that information on to your readers.
The RT of a bad scoop is saying, "Check out what this person said."
You writing a story says it's information you acquired from someone you trust and you have reason to believe it's not bull.
[quote author=playthrough]
You're losing that RT battle, JPsT. And "Twitter respect" might be the lamest thing I've heard so far in the young year.[/quote]
Losing? I'm genuinely interesting in the position the majority seem to hold. That's fine if you don't like the way Dietsch phrased it, but as the original article points out, your reputation among social media users can have implications on the real world.
[quote author=buckweaver]
Just saying there are (and should be) consequences for any reporter who passes along bad information, knowingly or not. That applies to all mediums, social media or otherwise. The whole point of the job is not to do that.[/quote]
Interesting. What should the consequence be for a reporter who got burned by a trusted source?
Another example? Another example. If I'm a Houston Rockets beat writer, I'm at the Toyota Center last night covering Rockets-Hawks. I go through the typical night, tweet (wisely) during the game and file all my copy. As I'm briskly on my way out, hoping to catch the tail end of some NYE festivities, I notice ESPN's Marc Stein is tweeting the Mavericks are signing Yi Jianlian, according to his sources.
It's of interest to my followers, as the Mavs are division rivals of the team I cover, and it's from Stein who lives in Dallas and might be the most well sourced guy when it comes to the Mavs. I click RT.
If Jianlian doesn't join the Mavs this season, why is that on me? So far, I've heard "because your followers might think you reported that, not Marc Stein."
