Deadlines and the Death of Accuracy

Photo Courtesy of x-eyedblonde

Craig Silverman puts forth a new model for news organizations to follow that would limit errors from being published. I agree with his suggestions, but I would add one important point that I feel Silverman has overlooked. Journalists must work under a deadline. Sometimes there just isn't enough time for a thorough fact-checking.

Silverman advises journalists to "take the time to make a call or send an e-mail. Just a few extra minutes of time on the phone or e-mail can be the difference between a clean story and one with errors." Perhaps we should add the importance of prioritization to Silverman's statement. Fact-checking and follow-ups are the most important parts of writing a story. But it seems journalists are more concerned with making a story sound compelling and interesting, rather than 100% accurate and true.

Time management is another important element to writing an accurate story. Often times, journalists won't have "just a few extra minutes." Time is very valuable for reporters, so they must know exactly how much time they will devote to every step of the writing process. If reporters run out of time before they have done a proper fact-checking, then maybe they aren't cut out for the job.

Assignment editors can help reporters work under these time constraints by extending deadlines. In my opinion, it's better to present an accurate story a day later, rather than present a story full of mistakes that night. However, editors run the risk of losing the audience's attention because the story may no longer be considered current or timely.

If you want to learn more about how deadlines are effecting the credibility of today's journalists, check out the book No Time to Think. That is...if you have the time.