For journalism majors at ASU, the first journalism-related class students are required to take is “JMC 110: Principles and History of Journalism.” The class stresses the importance of accuracy within a story.
Unfortunately, we saw the importance of accuracy in action with the incorrect reporting of Penn State coaching legend Joe Paterno's death.
At 8:45 p.m. on Jan. 21, Onward State, “an online news organization serving the Penn State and State College community,” reported on its Twitter feed that Paterno had passed away.
Two minutes later, CBS Sports put out a post about Paterno's death, citing Onward State. From there, the news spread through mainstream media, although Paterno was not yet dead. Paterno’s son, Jay, tweeted “CBS report is wrong,” confirmed this.
What all journalists, sports or otherwise, can gain from this is simple yet powerful: Accuracy is always the best policy. CBS Sports has been taking fire all week — and rightfully so. Journalism isn't easy, but following the rules should be.
Yeah, it's nice to break a story, but if it's inaccurate, especially on a scale like this, the only outcome is humiliation.
Reach the reporter at dsshapi1@asu.edu
