The Eagles made news concerning their coaching staff yesterday.
None of it involved Andy Reid or John Gruden, which probably came as “news” to the folks who toil in “cyberia.”
There are a lot of things about the Internet I like. This isn’t one of them.
The Eagles actually put out a statement yesterday to deny a rumor that had taken off in the Internet world of Twitter and Facebook that Andy Reid was stepping down and being replaced by Jon Gruden.
I’m not sure if that says more about the Eagles or what passes for amateur reporting these days.
It no doubt was music to the ears of the persistent critic who leaves a lengthy voice-mail for me every time I write something about how we are increasingly embracing the Internet.
In this case he’s right on the money.
This all started when former Eagle and local guy Kyle Eckel posted an item on his Facebook page indicating he’d heard a rumor that Reid was stepping down and Gruden would be named his replacement.
What happened next is a classic lesson in the dangers of the new information superhighway. Speed kills on the highways; it also can do some damage on the information superhighway.
The Eckel “rumor” tapped into equal portions of Eagles mania, perhaps a desire by many to see Reid deposed and the biggest pitfall of all in the Internet world we all now toil in. In the rush to get information out there, to be first with a hot rumor, accuracy falls by the wayside.
There was nothing to the Reid rumor. That did not stop the story from going “viral,” as they say. Virus might be a more apt description. It’s enough to make you sick.
I know all too well the dangers of not checking things before throwing them up on a website. The lure is powerful to get the information out there first, and check it out later. Every morning I post information on our website, and each morning I am horrified to see the typos and other mistakes that litter reporting when it is done without a safety net. Of course, that also is the glory of the Internet. With a few keystrokes, the offending material can be corrected, hopefully before too many people see it. I am reminded that is not always the case by the people who post comments on the stories pointing out my mistakes.
But sometimes it also can be more serious. Based on several reports, I recently posted an item on the website about a hit-run crash in which a pedestrian “allegedly” had been struck.
As it turned out, the hit-run involved a driver who struck another car and then fled, no pedestrian was hit. The police were less than thrilled with our rush to report that inaccurate information.
Today, anyone with a computer and access to the Internet can be a reporter. Fans post material all day long on Facebook. They light up Twitter with their rants.
I am reminded of a couple of things, including my favorite thing about the Internet, and a warning I always issue to those writing for print.
Without question the best thing about the Internet is that it is fluid, and allows us to report – and correct – information on the fly. As circumstances change, so does our story. If details change, we make those corrections in real time online.
Print, on the other hand, is forever. Once the printed edition of our newspaper leaves our building, there is nothing I can do to get it back. There are many days I wish that was not the case.
Maybe those sitting in front of computer terminals should think about that before they push that “post” button.
Yes, speed kills. It also can kill your reputation for accuracy.
Andy Reid is not going anywhere. Jon Gruden was not in Philadelphia Sunday night, as was “reported” online yesterday.
Our Eagles beat writer, Bob Grotz, posted an item online after the Eagles issued their statement denying the story and indicating it was merely a rumor.
Eckel eventually did the same.
There’s an old saying in the news business. If you mother tells you she loves you, check it out.
Good advice, whether you’re ‘tweeting,’ posting on Facebook, or that quaint old notion of printing ink on paper.
None of it involved Andy Reid or John Gruden, which probably came as “news” to the folks who toil in “cyberia.”
There are a lot of things about the Internet I like. This isn’t one of them.
The Eagles actually put out a statement yesterday to deny a rumor that had taken off in the Internet world of Twitter and Facebook that Andy Reid was stepping down and being replaced by Jon Gruden.
I’m not sure if that says more about the Eagles or what passes for amateur reporting these days.
It no doubt was music to the ears of the persistent critic who leaves a lengthy voice-mail for me every time I write something about how we are increasingly embracing the Internet.
In this case he’s right on the money.
This all started when former Eagle and local guy Kyle Eckel posted an item on his Facebook page indicating he’d heard a rumor that Reid was stepping down and Gruden would be named his replacement.
What happened next is a classic lesson in the dangers of the new information superhighway. Speed kills on the highways; it also can do some damage on the information superhighway.
The Eckel “rumor” tapped into equal portions of Eagles mania, perhaps a desire by many to see Reid deposed and the biggest pitfall of all in the Internet world we all now toil in. In the rush to get information out there, to be first with a hot rumor, accuracy falls by the wayside.
There was nothing to the Reid rumor. That did not stop the story from going “viral,” as they say. Virus might be a more apt description. It’s enough to make you sick.
I know all too well the dangers of not checking things before throwing them up on a website. The lure is powerful to get the information out there first, and check it out later. Every morning I post information on our website, and each morning I am horrified to see the typos and other mistakes that litter reporting when it is done without a safety net. Of course, that also is the glory of the Internet. With a few keystrokes, the offending material can be corrected, hopefully before too many people see it. I am reminded that is not always the case by the people who post comments on the stories pointing out my mistakes.
But sometimes it also can be more serious. Based on several reports, I recently posted an item on the website about a hit-run crash in which a pedestrian “allegedly” had been struck.
As it turned out, the hit-run involved a driver who struck another car and then fled, no pedestrian was hit. The police were less than thrilled with our rush to report that inaccurate information.
Today, anyone with a computer and access to the Internet can be a reporter. Fans post material all day long on Facebook. They light up Twitter with their rants.
I am reminded of a couple of things, including my favorite thing about the Internet, and a warning I always issue to those writing for print.
Without question the best thing about the Internet is that it is fluid, and allows us to report – and correct – information on the fly. As circumstances change, so does our story. If details change, we make those corrections in real time online.
Print, on the other hand, is forever. Once the printed edition of our newspaper leaves our building, there is nothing I can do to get it back. There are many days I wish that was not the case.
Maybe those sitting in front of computer terminals should think about that before they push that “post” button.
Yes, speed kills. It also can kill your reputation for accuracy.
Andy Reid is not going anywhere. Jon Gruden was not in Philadelphia Sunday night, as was “reported” online yesterday.
Our Eagles beat writer, Bob Grotz, posted an item online after the Eagles issued their statement denying the story and indicating it was merely a rumor.
Eckel eventually did the same.
There’s an old saying in the news business. If you mother tells you she loves you, check it out.
Good advice, whether you’re ‘tweeting,’ posting on Facebook, or that quaint old notion of printing ink on paper.
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