MAY 14, 2009

To Source, Or Not To Source (But That’s Not the Question)

One could say my life itself has been one long soundtrack.  Music was my life, music brought me to life, and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life.  When I die there will be a final waltz playing in my head that only I can hear.

- Maurice Jarre, French Composer & Conductor

The quote above was attributed to composer Maurice Jarre on his Wikipedia page and was cited by a number of news sources when they reported his passing in March.  However, the composer never uttered such words; the posting of his quote was an experiment conducted by a student, Shane Fitzgerald, about “how our globalized, increasingly internet-dependent media was upholding accuracy and accountability in an age of instant news.”

The [student’s] obituary-friendly quote…flew straight on to dozens of U.S. blogs and newspaper web sites in Britain, Australia and India. They used the fabricated material…even though administrators at the [Wikipedia] twice caught the quote’s lack of attribution and removed it.  A full month went by and nobody noticed the editorial fraud.  So Fitzgerald told several media outlets they’d swallowed his baloney whole.

Some journalists have gone as far as calling the student a “jerk” or tried to shame him for taking a month before notifying the papers that they cited a false Wikipedia entry when they reported on Mr. Jarre’s passing.

I’d like to take this opportunity to applaud Mr. Fitzgerald for reminding us that some of the “old media” rules, such as sourcing, should still apply in the new media age.  It’s true that the decline in old media (staff reductions or newspaper closings) as well as the rise in new media (e.g., Twitter breaking the news of the Hudson River plane crash) creates an undeniable pressure for reporters to find and report information faster than ever before. However, accountability in reporting is still an expectation – regardless of the forum.

Mr. Fitzgerald’s tale serves as yet another reminder that technology is rapidly changing how, where, and when we receive our information.  It often occurs at a pace much faster than many of us are comfortable with.  Finding the right partner to help your business will ensure success as it navigates through the daily minefields that new technologies create.  Cheers, Mr. Fitzgerald.