Comments on: Is Using Twitter For Quotes Lazy or Innovative?

By: Blurring the lines between traditional and new media - ZooLoo - Are you Ready To ZooLoo?

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:41:06 +0000

[...] I’ve noticed a lot of reporters starting to become dependent on social media to cite their stories, but I hadn’t heard much about it. A quick Google search told me that I clearly hadn’t been paying attention, because this is a widely discussed topic. [...]

By: Erik Rolfsen

Erik Rolfsen — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:41:12 +0000

I wouldn’t call it lazy journalism — no journalist is going to rely solely on copying and pasting tweets when there are important truths to be uncovered. But if all they’re trying to do is capture the water-cooler talk, as I believe Katie was doing in this particular instance, tweets are a pretty useful tool. The facts are there in the top half of her story; the tweets just add some supplementary colour.

Newspapers used to go out and do ’streeters’ for this — tracking down four or five people on the street, taking their photos and asking them their opinion on the news story of the day. Believe it or not, this is an incredibly time-consuming process for the limited value it brings to readers. If we can make a reader smile simply by copying and pasting a few choice tweets, why not save the extra time and use it to pursue new stories?

By: buzz

buzz — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:07:03 +0000

Thanks for commenting Paul, gotta admit, I absolutely LOVE your style on the radio – would love to see you with your own show. You’re articulate, well versed and you nail hard arguments without the sensational b-s so many others try to float. Love it.

However, perhaps it’s your association with the sports radio commentators who routinely look to print for story ideas that’s giving you the impression that radio people use newspapers as a source without their own research.

I can tell you that, in my format and style of broadcast, if I relied on what I read on the paper as content for my show, I’d be 36 hours behind the headlines.

Again, this specific instance is not the perfect example of twitter as a lazy source, and I do acknowledge tweets and FB wall posts are public domain, I’m just seeing more and more stories (tv, print) gleaning quick quotes or reaction from social media instead of using them as a research tool and digging deeper.

Here are some other blogs who have written on the same topic:

Twitter is NOT a Lazy Journalist’s Replacement for Vox Pop
http://www.newsphobia.net/?p=53

Is Twitter lazy and narcissistic or a new editorial product?
http://www.editorsweblog.org/web_20/2009/03/is_twitter_lazy_and_narcissistic_or_a_ne.php

Are twitter and blogging lazy journalism?
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/kate_day/blog/2009/03/12/are_twitter_and_blogging_lazy_journalism

By: Paul Chapman

Paul Chapman — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 16:40:55 +0000

Interesting subject. I do know Katie was on deadline, had two other stories and had 30 minutes to pull something together. No time to get to GM Place and comment on the story was needed. As long as it’s sourced, and it’s in the public domain it’s fair game.
I’d also like to point out every radio station in town, even the big “news” stations read stuff from the papers every day without verifying it themselves.

By: buzz

buzz — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 22:34:27 +0000

Katie did reach out to me via Twitter after I posted this article.

http://twitter.com/katiemercer/status/1493512238

I appreciate she was under deadline, and while her posting of the reaction tweets is not be the best example to support my thesis, I will stand by the notion that many in old media are using the ease of new media to fill their stories without doing the old-fashioned legwork.

By: buzz

buzz — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:58:25 +0000

thanks for adding perspective, mark.

By: Mark

Mark — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:52:26 +0000

As I’m quoted in this article, I should clarify my statement about the Province and Sun; in the past, I’ve done interviews with both newspapers, and at other times, my website’s been referenced (including words I’ve written) by both papers. With the exception of Mia Stainsby who really does great research in her foodie articles for the Sun, I’ve seen

- incorrect ‘facts’ printed
- out of context quotes
- interview quotes that didn’t happen (ie, putting words into one’s mouth – changing the meaning of actual interview words)
- non-verified quotes (second hand reporting)

In various articles about coffee. There were times where the facts printed were 100% wrong (ie, one example listing Sammy Piccolo as a World Barista Champion winner), where I took the time to contact the paper about their error, to get no reply, nor any correction notice in the papers.

I realise that my experience with journalists (vs. hacks) is spoiled somewhat – I’ve been contacted and interviewed by some of the world’s best newspapers, and seen firsthand how a paper like the NY Times or for that matter the Globe and Mail fact check, verify, and most importantly, quote accurately. So in the past when I used to speak to CanWest reporters more often, it was disappointing to see how shoddy some of their reporting skills really were.

I do want to make an exception again to the Sun/Province slagging – I do feel that some of their reporters are qualified journalists – Mia Stainsby really stands out for me. She delves into a subject she may not initially have much knowledge of, really does her research, and really seems to get it – and does the proper journalist thing, which is “not automatically believe they are an expert, but does what a journalist does – senses the important parts of the story, fact checks and verifies, and makes damned sure they get their quotes right”.

I can’t say the same thing about some of her colleagues, at least in the life (style, food, drink, etc) section.