As an aspiring journalist and modern student of communication arts, I've stumbled across this imposing, imminent and unavoidable thing--the Internet. While I have Googled and Wikipedia-ed my way through quite a few college assignments, I never really considered the ethics involved. I always cited my sources, so I didn't see a problem. The real question that I never asked myself was where was this information coming from? Was this Website really giving me credible information? Who was verifying these facts? As some assignments go, not knowing didn't pose a real problem. But, as I started to get deeper and deeper into my newfound love of journalism, I realized that my previous Internet habits couldn't really slide anymore. This is what brings me to my point, and a question that I hope Becoming Lois Lane can help answer:
How does a journalist stay true to the fundamental elements and ethics of journalism when there is so much easily accessed "information" out there on the World Wide Web?
How does a reporter take the time verify a tip when someone else might be breaking that story? Whether or not you want to admit it, we are rapidly moving into a world where news is immediate. Whether you get it Tweeted to your Blackberry or emailed to your iPhone, information has become accessible from almost anywhere, but is it always reliable?
What do you think? Is there a solution for the modern-day journalist in a world of immediately accessible information?
"In the end, the discipline of verification is what separates journalism from entertainment, propaganda, fiction, or art. Journalism alone is focused on getting what happened down right." -Kovach & Rosenstiel
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