Seigenthaler Controversy Shines a Spotlight on Accuracy
The whole episode involving John Seigenthaler's bio in Wikipedia and the public apology by the author of the fabricated copy has us wondering if folks talk about accuracy online only when a "big" source fumbles.
How many errors in blogs or on sites get corrected every day across the Internet? Hundreds, certainly, probably thousands, as readers send emails to writers, pointing out mistakes. But the buzz surrounding accuracy remains just that - a buzz - and never rises to the level of critical discourse until a New York Times or Wikipedia are the sources. And even then, the discussion lasts exactly the length of a news cycle and then dies.
We need more quantitative figures about accuracy and veracity online, at both big and small sites, for professionals and citizen journalists. How do we get this data?
How many errors in blogs or on sites get corrected every day across the Internet? Hundreds, certainly, probably thousands, as readers send emails to writers, pointing out mistakes. But the buzz surrounding accuracy remains just that - a buzz - and never rises to the level of critical discourse until a New York Times or Wikipedia are the sources. And even then, the discussion lasts exactly the length of a news cycle and then dies.
We need more quantitative figures about accuracy and veracity online, at both big and small sites, for professionals and citizen journalists. How do we get this data?
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