Being First To Report The Colorado Shooting Provided Incorrect Information

[The Voice of Reason]

ABC News claimed the shooter at the movie theatre in Colorado was a member of the Tea Party organization, which later proved to be false.

This is what happens when news organizations strive to be "first" to report a story without checking facts.

 

[recto101]

Well its the News Directors that needs to verify all facts before going on the air.

 

[Markxxx]

I was working overnight and I heard it as it was happening via radio. I had it on KYW and they kept saying Aurora, IL, which didn't make sense that "The shooting happened in Aurora, IL a suburb of Denver."

Then I got on my "Radio Sure" which is an internet radio application and switched to some Denver radio stations and it was just as bad.

KOA Denver kept going in and out of feeds. I heard from CBS, FOX and ABC on that station, it would be one just interrupting the other. I got better info when I turned to KCBS San Francisco.

I always think of radio as a quicker medium than TV and at work I have Internet but no TV so I can get radio stations online, but radio didn't seem to have it's act together either.

 

[wrsg915fm]

Has anyone gotten the number correct on the deceased, wounded (including critically)? Checking the numbers yesterday, FOX had much higher wounded than most of the other outlets; with the time elapsed, have the networks agreed on the numbers?

 

[arnoldevns]

ABC News claimed the shooter at the movie theatre in Colorado was a member of the Tea Party organization, which later proved to be false.

This is what happens when news organizations strive to be "first" to report a story without checking facts.

No, this was deliberate by Brian Ross to inject politics in this. What he did was inexcusable. He should be fired immediately.

 

[1069_KIFR]

Whenever there is a major breaking news, I get the jist of it. Then wait until at least the next day when the dust has pretty much settled and everyone can get the majority of the facts straight.

 

[Mario500]

No, this was deliberate by Brian Ross to inject politics in this. What he did was inexcusable. He should be fired immediately.

^What makes you say the false information was deliberate?

 

[Robnoxious]

What makes you say the false information was deliberate?

It was a knee jerk reaction and decision to go to air with that false information based on being read on social media. Twitter and Facebook are not AP or Reuters or BBC news wires. Treating tweets and Facebook as a source without verifying the validity is irresponsible journalism. It's as simple as that.

What party box he ticks at the voting poll (if he even votes at all) doesn't change or explain why this piece of filth mowed down 12 innocent lives and injured many many more.

 

[Nate Wesley]

ABC News claimed the shooter at the movie theatre in Colorado was a member of the Tea Party organization, which later proved to be false.

This is what happens when news organizations strive to be "first" to report a story without checking facts.

On the flip side, the Breitbart boys tried to make him a Democrat. It's not just legitimate news organizations that screw up, it can be 'media molesters' too:

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/...g-up-to-mistakes-on-colorado-theater-shooter/

 

[landtuna]

Whenever there is a major breaking news, I get the jist of it. Then wait until at least the next day when the dust has pretty much settled and everyone can get the majority of the facts straight.

Exactly right! I wish our various news outlets would do the same.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

KOA Denver kept going in and out of feeds... I always think of radio as a quicker medium than TV and at work I have Internet but no TV so I can get radio stations online, but radio didn't seem to have it's act together either.

Dittos on KOA! As always, KOA 850 AM was my go-to station of choice, but, you're right, they kept swinging from feed to feed. Eye-witnesses sound bites got too much air time. Not once on my 25-minute commute to work did KOA break in with a capsule, like, "In case you're just joining us, here's what happened..." I finally arrived at my first store call, knowing only that a shooting massacre had occurred overnight at an Aurora theatre complex. From 4:56 AM to about 5:30, I never heard KOA identify that complex, nor it's physical location, which was important information to me-- I live in Aurora!

 

[recto101]

Well I listened to KNX they did an extensive dig on the Shooters live in CA and they put it to the national spotlight.

 

[sdwulfdawg]

Well its the News Directors that needs to verify all facts before going on the air.

That is not the responsibility of a news director.

The reporters are supposed to get right. All what a News Director does is make sure that coverage gets on the air, equipment gets deployed, satellite feeds get ingested, news anchors are on the set doing what they are supposed to be doing.

 

[Board Editor]

MOVED: TIO: Being First To Report The Colorado Shooting Provided Incorrect Information

Some posts in this thread have been moved to Take It Outside.

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[ansky212]

There was no reason for them to mention politics in this story. Regardless if it's true or not, it had nothing to do with what happened.

 

[jfrancispastirchak]

Well its the News Directors that needs to verify all facts before going on the air.

That is not the responsibility of a news director. The reporters are supposed to get right...

And that's how it worked when I was in radio. Anchors on both radio & TV sometimes qualify rapidly developing news. IE, "We cannot independently confirm..." or, "(Competitor's network) is now reporting that...", but news directors do not get shackled behind the curtain, verifying every new detail of every "breaking" story. A news director's responsibility has much more to do with logistics, although some even lace up their boots and "report", along side their charges, especially in smaller markets.