The panelists now have posed the issue of online comments.
What do people think of online commenters? Should news organizations offer online registration to comment? Should you have to name yourself to comment? Do anonymous commenters really add to the discussion? Should comments be moderated?
Sound off.
We’re talking about what to do when a blog-operated news org. has the scoop on a story and there is a half hour before the official press conference. Should the biggest news network go live on TV, on the radio, on the Web, on the blogs, on the cell phones and twitter feeds, or just sit tight. The questions here are competition and speed.
Many journalists in the room, who indeed want to present the most accuarate information, are saying the news org. needs to call its sources and confirm the details before going live. We know the users want it quick and fast, and will flock to whatever site has the information right now. I think we need to remember that users also want accurate information. If the news org. can’t say for sure if the information is 99% bound to be true, then I can say as a user, I probably wouldn’t want to know about it. We want our information fast, but is the integrity of a station worth catering to the public’s crave for speedy news?
This connects with an issue we talked about this morning, branding a network as user-centric. In a sense, a user might want to know what another news organization is saying might be true about a political candidate, but I think if the network is truly working with the user-centric model, then they should think accuracy and integrity before speed, rss feeds and the buzzing twitter feeds.
John Edwards and Elizabeth Edwards on "Charlie Rose" courtesy of josette.
Questions that readers brought up during the election and wanted coverage of.
-Why not disclose that Barack Obama was not born in the U.S., and therefore not eligible for the presidency?
-How could we protect Sarah Palin and not tell the truth that Trig was her daughter’s baby, not hers?
-Why would we hide information about John Edwards’ affair?
We’ve turned the mic over to the audience and we’re getting their advice.