Verification

There seems to be a growing trend for journalism of assertion instead of journalism of verification. With the instant information of the internet, many reporters feel that they need to get the information out as quickly as possible and then, if they get the facts wrong, they can go back and edit or fix whatever they need to. Reporters are trying to get the information out first because there is so much competition from other news gathering organizations, whether traditional newspapers or more informal gatherers on the internet.

In 1999, there was an article written during Air Safety Week that addressed what reporters did during an aviation crisis. Reporters are quick to spread rumors that the general audience may believe as fact because it is coming from a well respected journalist. Even with a preface of "This hasn't been verified, but..." is not enough to keep unsubstantiated information from being spread around and misinterpreted. Journalists need to stick with the facts that can be proven. Follow the Scientific Method of being able to recreate any witnesses or proof that needs to be verified.

I agree that Journalists have a responsibility to verify everything they report on. The general public trusts the reporters to provide this unbiased and verified information. One of my biggest pet peeves is the rambling that reporters do during a live crisis, like the planes flying into the World Trade Centers. The reporters don't know what is going on and they "speculate" and try to come up with some type of verified information. I have to turn off the television and return later as I wait for the facts to start coming in. It can be a real challenge to report the news "as it is happening" without speculation or assertion. Without verification, the public could become panicked and that is something that reporters need to be careful of.