Recently several news outlets wrongly reported that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords had died in a mass shooting in Tuscon, Ariz., when in fact she had survived. Some of the incorrect reporting was based on bad information from sources.
Dealing with sources can be a challenge in the best of times, but it can be especially tricky on breaking news stories where there's intense competition to get the story first. Using the Giffords story as an example, here are ways to get the story first, and get it right.
Let's start by imagining a source has told you the congresswoman has died. Here are questions to ask and rules to keep in mind before going with the story:
• Is the source absolutely in a position to know what they're telling you? In a story about a person who's been critically injured and is hospitalized, the source would have to be someone in communication with the doctors and nurses treating the victim. If they don't have that kind of access, don't go with the story.
(NPR, which first reported that Giffords had died, said it did so based on information from two sources - the Pima County Sheriff's office and a congressman's office. But such sources probably wouldn't have direct access to the physicians treating Giffords.)
The Associated Press, on the other hand, didn't make the mistake NPR did. AP spokesman Paul Colford said this was "because we lacked confirmation from someone w/ reason to know, such as 1st-hand knowledge."
• Is the source willing to go on the record? On-the-record sources are inherently more credible than anonymous ones.
• Can the source provide specific information? Specific details are more credible than a vague, sketchy account.
Also read:
Get the Facts Right on Breaking News StoriesHow to Work With Anonymous Sources
