Have you been reading my postings today, Jeff?

Jeff Jarvis -- whom I respect -- says of Zeyad's incorrect eyewitness account:

"Here was have a correspondent giving us a perspective on the events in Iraq that we were not getting -- and likely could not get -- elsewhere. That makes it valuable. Period."

I see exactly where Jeff's coming from, and agree with it to a large extent -- especially when he says that "we all need to act as editors as we read these weblogs and judge them in their own context" (and Jeff was totally right to urge caution yesterday, unlike some.) It just helps if the perspective on events we're getting is correct in the first place.

Slapdash journalists at IRN used to have a catchphrase for their service -- "Never Wrong For Long." Similarly, a certain rolling news network I have some experience undertook a relaunch with a promise to offer viewers "breaking rumour" as well as "breaking news."

Personally. I'd rather be second, third or even last and be 100% sure of my facts than be first and wrong -- be it in my blog or my work for Big Media.

Discuss