Miami Herald ombudsman on Jason Taylor coverage

Good post, Moddy.

I still hear people say, "When will this be in the newspaper?" and then express disappointment when I say it will be online or in my blog.

I believe they, and some newspaper managers, see what is online as less important, possibly frivilous, and not as "real." Managers taking this tack should reassess with any staff or contributed post or blog.

If it has your company's name on it then it should be up to your company's standards. Problem is, a lot see the online posts requiring lower standards to be cool, hip, edgy, fast, immediate or whatever other excuse is provided and don't take the time to edit or check.

 

Bottom line is that most newspapers don't have the resources in place to edit blog entries.

However, at minimum, any controversial stuff should be run by an editor.

 

Buh ... buh ... buh ... they can just remove the offending post and no one ever will know!

 

Looks like the shaky sources were for the column, not the following day's blog entry.

But should they be? It's still got your name -- and by extension, your newspaper's reputation -- attached to it. Mess with that, even if it's "just for a blog," and it might be hard to get us (the readers) to trust you again.

 

At some places, the demand by bosses for content on the web has outpunted the coverage by a mile.

 

What's interesting is that the people demanding that extra, unedited content will usually be unwilling to accept responsibility when something goes wrong.

 

I think the rules need to be different for a blog. Otherwise it will read just like a newspaper. Doesn't mean we can make stuff up and libel folks, though.

 

"What's interesting is that the people demanding that extra, unedited content will usually be unwilling to accept responsibility when something goes wrong."


Ding. Ding. Ding.

 

Exactly.

"In addition to the gamer, notebook and sider that you normally have to write, we also want you to blog throughout the game and file a web only gamer within seconds of the game ending."

I have no problems holding the writers responsible, but the editors need to be responsible as well.

I don't know too many places where blogs go through the desk before they're put up on the web site.

 

Accuracy and fairness have to stay. Taste can go, though. We're trying to attract the kids, you know.