From time to time I am moved to write to news organisations protesting their apparent inability to get basic facts straight. It seems that very often they employ people who simply don't know what they are talking about and don't have the resources (time, people, money, expertise) to check their reports before publishing them.
There's an awful lot that I don't know about the world, so when I spot an error I'm always left wondering what else is wrong that I haven't spotted. This lack of attention to detail on their part - fast reporting, I think it's called - undermines my trust in the news services I rely on.
A trivial example: The BBc reports that the government of China is investing in road-building. No problem there. But they state that "seven routes fan out to Shanghai, Taipei, Hong Kong, Kunming, Urumchi and Harbin." Taipei? Capital of the renegade province across a very large stretch of water. How is that being accomplished then? And why haven't I heard about it?
Presumably, someone has just reprinted the official line as dictated by Beijing. No thinking. No awareness of what's really happening. So while it's a trivial example it's also a very important mistake to make because it ignores a truth that is the defining factor in the lives of 23,000,000 people.
Worse, I have written to the BBC about this particular article and not received a response. So they also don't care enough about the truth to actually correct their own mistakes. Baaad!
What is needed is a well-subscribed website where the general public can post corrections to factual errors. News organisations should be encouraged to check in and use this resource as a free corrective mechanism that will help to make up the shortfall in their own resources.
And they should post a link to the site from each and every report they publish online. Doing so would reflect a commitment to quality and accuracy, not to mention accountability - which is just another way of saying that you respect your readers.
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