UPDATED: Attacker at Ohio State University killed

Bad eyewitness reports. It's appalling.

 

Oh, is that what the reporters meant when they reported "multiple shooters"?

If so, why didn't they say that?

 

We're not stenographers. Right?

 

Do we not know by now that eyewitness reports are often terrible?

 

I wonder what President Dewey would have tweeted if he were still around.

 

Looks like you've got your 14-hour shift all set up now. #keyboardwarrior

 

Everybody needs to get the correct story within seconds, without talking to eyewitnesses. Or the cops. Or the administration of the university where it's happening. Or anyone else at the scene. If you don't do that, you're a failure.

 

You live in a fucking delusional world, YF. You really do. No one is apologizing for bad information. But if you think everything that comes out in a chaotic situation like a campus lockdown is going to be 100 percent correct the moment it happens, you're delusional.

 

Seriously, the "Go with what you got" crowd is an embarrassment to the profession.

That low standard is the foundation of the media's lessening influence. It's also at the heart of the profits first mentality that many "proud" journalists purport to hate.

 

Let's wait and see what the polls say

 

On the other hand, given the sway social media has in this day and age, perhaps it would be prudent of journalists not to jump off the proverbial bridge. Can't demand respect if you're not going to put much effort into doing your job well.

 

Everyone knows immediacy trumps accuracy in today's media environment. That's a different issue.

This type of confusion happens with just about EVERY goddamn breaking news story ever, and you know it.

The difference is we used to have an "editing process," and it used to take place in a newsroom, not in public.