It’s the Information Age – Feel Better, Yet?

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Electronic communication has provided businesses and society with more information than ever before.

Yet, the need for speed has drawn attention to an appalling lack of accuracy, as of late.

Journalists, in particular, have always prided themselves on getting the “scoop” before the competition. In the past, being the first to report has been a great way to sell newspapers. But, in the Information Age, when it comes to reporting news, everyone is first.

Every major media outlet has become rather reliant on amateur stringers to provide news. After all, anyone with a cell phone is capable of getting a scoop.

The media has been getting into trouble lately for reporting things that weren’t true.

As I write this blog post, CNN and other news agencies reported U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords to be dead, then alive again, after being shot in a Tucson grocery store.

Imagine being a Giffords family member as this type of false reporting occurred.

Journalism’s quest for speed can adversely affect accuracy. Yet, good communication, the kind that requires thought, research, and style, still takes time.

Let’s try to slow down a little and get things right the first time.