Breaking News: Fast vs. Right and How the Media Continues to Adapt

There’s no debating that websites and social media have made it easier to track breaking news as it happens. We saw that clearly with the tweets and photos around the Asiana Airlines crash earlier this year.

However, this immediacy also places pressure on the media to break news significantly faster than before – measured in minutes and seconds, 24/7.

In just the last year, Hurricane Sandy, Newtown and the Boston Marathon have demonstrated how our constant demand for immediate news can lead to misinformation.

With misinformation sometimes having serious consequences, the debate repeatedly comes up:

Which is more important: Getting news out first or getting it right?

Speed versus accuracy is an issue that affects all news organizations – from local media to the likes of the AP, The New York Times and CNN.  And it’s not a new concern.  Prior to social media, organizations had to adjust to the…