My reflections on bloggers and journalists entering each other's domain

There many ways to be a journalist in the modern world, like print, broadcast or, even, web journalism. Web journalism needs to have some sense of creditability; otherwise it is just what professional bloggers posting whatever information he or she receives. Keep in mind, that there are some journalists like Jayson Blair who has fabricated material during his time with the New York Times. For bloggers, this is even easier, although I will admit that such a fraud might be discovered even quicker.

Perhaps, the old school of ethics might still be applicable in a world of instant information, namely confirm all one's information with two independent sources and, if the information is controversy, one may need three sources to verify. This is not rocket science. If anyone believes that online journalism would gain any sort of creditability just because one could gain and post information faster than traditional news organization without doing some of the necessary legwork, then that person is obviously unaware as to how much bogus information is on the web.

I am very weary of where I get my news. Frankly I do not care much for speed, but I care an awful lot for accuracy, in term of the general facts and the specific details. As a member of the reading or viewing public, I still believe the ancient adage of never believe what one hears or sees until one has confirmation is true. People in ancient China once said that there is a very good reason for naming everything what it is today. We still hear on television news, both network and local, anchors saying that a certain story is still to come after this commercial break. The operative word here is story, which means that one should still take it with a gain of salt regardless of the non-fiction nature of it.

In the lead up to the ground offensive in the Persian Gulf War of 1991, according to the autobiography of Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, a CNN reporter, I believe, told the world that she witnessed an artillery duel between an American airborne division and elements of the Iraqi Army. Schwarzkopf was not only furious with the report, but later found out from the division’s public affairs officer that it never happened. And who could forget the Sago mine tragedy of January 2006. In a mad rush to be first, the journalistic world got it wrong and the news organizations let America go to bed believing that 12 of the 13 miners were successfully rescued.

Jose Raul Capablanca, the famous Cuban world-class chess master of the early 20th Century, rightly said that fools rush in. That is exactly what bloggers would have everyone do, if they ran the journalism world. In a world of instant information, media organizations believe that speed is everything when, in reality, it is the accuracy of the information that really matters.