The reading this week tackles a major advantage that we as young journalists have in the 21st century: search engines and social media. With the click of a button, we have access to tons of research before we even begin to conduct interviews or receive a formal briefing. What is scary about a career working in a newsroom, is the constant pressure for timeliness in journalism. The news is typically reported as it's happening or shortly thereafter. But no matter how great the demand is to get the news out there quickly, it is so important not to forget fact checking. One mistake in accuracy could end your career.
The reading also warned us about the trustworthiness of online news sources and aggregate journalism. I like the assertion that relying on online news sources as a crutch. We should let materials picked up from other sites serve as lead. In a culture of aggregated journalism, that can be the difference between a good journalist and a great one.
Good points, Chris. I agree that reading what other journalists have written gives us hypotheses to test, but it doesn't test them. And yes, online access is a Godsend to reporters. But it means we must think critically about where information comes from and how credible it likely is.
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