The Fog of Breaking News
Slate, December 3, 2008
By Jack Shafer
Breaking news -- especially complex breaking news -- has always defied the best reporters' attempts to get the story both first and right. Contradictory accounts and inaccuracies abound. But the press could do a better job of cleaning up after the fact by acknowledging that their frantic chasing of the story also resulted in the publication of some ... crap.
This article is copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

