Lesson for journalists: Falsifying tweets isn't wise

Posted by Stefanie Chernow on September 1, 2010 at 5:48 PM

While journalism students are being trained for the repercussions of social media in classrooms, journalists in the real world are learning lessons the hard way. Mike Wise, a sports reporter for The Washington Post, was suspended for a month for advertising false information on his Twitter account. "Integrity, being right before being first, is the only thing genuine journalists have left in this world," Wise said remorsefully. "It pains me to say my own stupid, irresponsible experiment, ironically, has cost me a chunk of my own credibility today."

The Washington Post announced Wise had tweeted a false story on Monday that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger would only be suspended for five games instead of six. "It was a hoax designed to flush out all the bloodsucking content leeches on the web," speculates TBD. "Wise apparently wanted to show how low the standards had sunk for screening news snippets on social media platforms." Wise made his point that news spreads quickly, as the Washington Post took action the same day for the embarrassment the tweet has caused. "Wise wasn't reporting. He was fabricating, which is the greatest sin in journalism," wrote The Washington Post.

Recently there have been several instances of conflicting news information on the internet. One false blog post spread rumors that the Washington Times was closing its doors. Climate Camp recently assailed the media for reporting without proof that the organization had spilled an oil like substance on buildings near a protest site. News & Tech reported that the Dallas Morning News would launch a paid website, while Poynter's article the following day claimed "Dallas Morning News CEO says pay wall report 'not accurate.'" What makes Mike Wise's transgression more scandalous than these other journalistic blunders?

There is a combination of his intent and his employer's prestige that makes Wise's decision more serious. As Wise stated, credibility is invaluable to the journalism field. The Washington Post holds a reputation as a top news sources, and expects its employees to uphold that standard. In an age of social media, it is increasingly easy for journalists to make poor decisions which could affect their employer's credibility. If there is a lesson to take away, it's that top journalists have a longer way to fall thanks to social media.

Sources: News&Tech, Poynter, TBD, The Washington Post