You’d think publishers would’ve smartened up following their missteps with West Virginia coal miners’ story. But on the day after the Palestinian election, we spotted a newspaper-affiliated site with a lead story that reports a Fatah victory over Hamas (obviously grabbed from the print edition). And incredibly, right above that lead piece, a scrolling AP headline declares “Officials: Hamas Wins Palestinian Election.”
Ugh.
We know that news sites aren’t staffed 24/7 (at least not yet). And that automated feeds can spring some surprises on a Web editor. But there needs to be better coordination between print and online news teams on stories that are especially likely to bleed past a printed deadline, particularly elections. Editors of a printed publication with a set deadline have to go with what they know, and any articles that lack a definitive resolution should point readers to the Web for details. But those editors shouldn’t wake up to see conflicting reports stacked one above the other on the home page. Not if they want to be viewed as a relevant, trustworthy news organization.
And so goes today’s Chaser rant.
(Full disclose note: This Chaser is a semi-regular contributor of free-lance music articles to the news site described above. He hopes the person who signs his checks is open to constructive criticism!]
