Mexico is a bit revolutionized by the article written by Leon Krauze en Goals about Twitter . With an extra provocative headline explains how Twitter is losing credibility and relevance as an information . According to the journalist, “twittered community in Mexico has fallen into the hysteria in the rumors and lost .
rigor
« Now the hysteria has twittered in check the credibility of the medium “he says. « The next time it will be impossible to respond to those who insist that Twitter is not an extraordinary means of information but a mockery of journalism, only the idle gossipy “. I think Krauze is deeply mistaken, and to explain why to separate two concepts: Twitter and the ill-named “medium” and Twitter when we refer to the people who use the service to post their stuff. In the latter I agree that we must be careful what we publish. True, but it is also true that we should be careful what we say always regardless of whether we do it in Twitter , a blog , a email or MundoReal in a meeting with friends.
And this is not journalistic rigor or credibility, it is Standard liability . You do not need rumors, lying, disrespect with insults or attacks on Twitter to say that “ is wrong “. Yes, if atorreta is a good example, but as someone taking some a hoax (canard) is something that has happened for centuries .
As I said before, I think Leon Krauze profoundly wrong when calling Twitter a “medium”. Why is necessary to remember how things were before the media / communication and how that line has been erased by the internet. Let me explain:
All my life I’ve done (mostly) in small circles: 1-a-1 when you converse with a friend or family by phone or in person. The media like TV, newspapers, radio and magazines are responsible for disseminating relevant information can be news or entertainment, sport news or fiction.
The Internet opened the doors to communicate with more people in less time and less effort . We maintain the 1-a-1 with the email, in the MSN Messenger or private messages on a host of services, but we can reach many more people using a blog, chat (where there are tens or hundreds of attendees), a blog or Twitter, which is simply a Service A .
social tool
That’s where is erased line .
Suddenly, of nowhere and not that many expected ( especially journalists ) almost anyone with an internet connection can reach thousands of people write a few words on a keyboard and pressing the Send . That line does not mean deleted Twitter is now comparable with a traditional broadcast medium like a newspaper. Means that times have changed .
But that times change no excuse to hold a service (in this case, Twitter ) by the behavior of people who use it, we can not blame the service for now a false message has the potential to reach many people. The equivalent would be accountable to those who give the cable television service because HBO issued a fake documentary where the aliens come to Earth and ten thousand people believe it.
I think it’s time that journalists are given a bathrooms humility and stop blaming the internet , the Twitter , the Blogs , a Google
or next service becomes fashionable for all the ills of this planet is very easy see the speck in someone else’s eye than the beam in your own . If it comes to believing and spreading false news, historically the Mexican media are experts in doing . A few examples:
- In October 2005
many traditional media began to spread the news of the existence of the “Gang Blood” that supposedly drive cars at night with lights apgadas and decide to kill them by any motorist changing lights to alert you. It is a hoax that has been in existence since early 1980 .
- During 2008 many media (including newspaper
Goals ) published without proof that social networks are responsible for several kidnappings. Warned of the supposed dangers of having a profile and strangers to see. Also, several journalists (I repeat, the same newspaper Milenio) said they had “confirmed” cases of people abducted by these means. The journalist was never able to give proof of these assertions. Almost two years later, Facebook is used by 7.5 million Mexicans (checked the information minutes before posting this post), much more than in 2008 and still no one has been hijacked using information from a social network.
- A large number of Mexican media, including a
Carlos Loret de Mola real gives a hoax (also being called “joke”) that the Romanian government to Haiti had confused with Tahiti. Goals also reported as real .
Leon Krauze:
you know what is the common feature among these three examples I just mentioned? The lack of moderation , the lack of check , the lack of rigor newspaper by the traditional mass media. Editorial prefer the immediacy, which re-publish (something like the retweet but complete articles) that they read news online or who came through an agency without being totally sure that is real.
I think there is a
burden of pride that it seems folly especially in times when traditional media and journalism in general is undergoing a serious credibility crisis. Mr. Krauze, the tone of savior internet does not help anyone. Sincerely, do not need credibility informative classes . Muchism I believe he is more serious than in 2010 some still do not understand the difference between a “service” and “people who use it.”
I strongly agree to use the tools that facilitate communication with responsibility, but then you ought to be the first to do so, in
Twitter or in his column in a newspaper of national circulation.
Photo: Respres
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