Miners Dead: Accuracy Before Speed

“TVNewser is part of the problem,” an e-mailer says, pointing to this item that lists the times when CNN, MSNBC and FNC reported the news that the miners were dead. “Who gives a shit about how many *minutes* it was?” Well, many visitors to the site do; When I don’t post the minute-by-minute updates, I frequently receive e-mails asking who was first.

Another e-mailer adds his point of view: “One of the problems on display in last night’s miner coverage was the misplaced emphasis on being ‘first’ with a story. Breaking a story is far less important than being accurate, and the rush to provide information before the competition can and does lead to incorrect and incomplete reporting. It’s more about ego than journalism. TVNewser often tells us which cable outlet is first on the air with a story, and you really ought to reconsider whether that’s as important as you make it. Why not reward quality information rather than timing?”