Journalistic mistakes are easy to make in the immediate wake of events like the horrific shootings last week in a movie theater in Colorado.
But the stampede to speed is only part of the problem. I believe the media malfeasance also includes a disregard for the reputations of the people on whom we report. To me, that is the mortal sin. We in the mass media have tremendous power to harm reputations if we are not careful – and we seem to be getting less and less careful until it must look to the public as if we couldn’t care less.
Ross, ABC News’ chief investigative reporter, told viewers that there’s “a Jim Holmes, of Aurora, Colorado, page on the Colorado Tea Party site.” Furthermore, he added that it includes him “talking about joining the Tea Party last year.”
Ross did qualify the report saying, “Now, we don't know if this is the same Jim Holmes, but it is Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colorado.”
So, why put it out there in the first place, if you don’t have it nailed down? And in this case, it was indeed the wrong Jim Holmes -- and Ross and ABC had to publish a correction and apology.
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“Several million people saw Brian’s initial statement this morning, but how many saw the retraction and apology?” he countered. “I can’t explain how outraged I am by this ‘reporting’, but what can you do? They issue a quick apology, no one in the media faces any consequences, and they go back to doing what they always do.”
[Snip]
ABC News declined comment Friday beyond the statement of correction and apology.
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