Right after Azhar posted the so-called ‘miracle moment’ on Twitter, he received lot of attention that he deserved not only from the social media users but also the media.

 

In a blink of an eye, the breaking news immediately spread throughout the social media and national television. The matter had become a heated debate topic in town with people debating and congratulating at the same time.

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Shockingly, the news had to be taken down after it turned out to be utterly narrated and false and instead, Azhar had claimed to be scammed.

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There is a never-ending discussion on breaking news and emergency news coverage and whether to get it right or get it first. They are not mutually exclusive, but what is fact or rumour – and the credibility of their origins – can often be hard to discern.

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Verification is a method of making sure you have gotten everything right as accuracy in journalism, is incredibly essential and crucial.

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In this modern era, with the emergence of technology and the Internet, everyone can openly express their voice and opinion on local and world affairs on social media. However, there never really was a guarantee of how far those postings can be trusted, nor if they were reliable.

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New Straits Time’s journalist, Esther Landau mentioned that before reporting a story, one must first check on its validity and accuracy.

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Search for more detailed information or sources, and if they feel the need to call anyone for validation and further comments, they should do so. That would make a more in-depth write-up and the readers like to read a clear and in-depth story compared to a partially done one.

 

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Never assumes a story

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How to manage such suspicious an unreliable information, especially during the pandemic?

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“Do not write a story based on assumption, never assume a story,” said Esther.

 

She also stressed on making sure to obtain the information first, and if one received preliminary information from relevant sources, one should write it down as a teaser on social media to attract more readers for the full news published on the website. And for us, journalists, writing down a few paragraphs first, is enough.

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When reporting news that involved figures and data, it is best to check with the relevant sources. Do online research and check on other news sources, as well.

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Be a journalist, not a photocopy machine

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Do not copy and paste stories from other news sources into your own story. It is unethical, and you might face legal action for doing so.

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Looking back on her experience, she did mention about mistakes she made in reporting news, such as almost getting sued several times. However, Esther managed to fix it by issuing apology notes in the newspaper to rectify the mistakes.

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Possible consequences of reporting an inaccurate story might lead to the journalist receiving a legal letter. If the case is serious, one may be called by the police for probing.

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Always do a research on a story

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Before proceeding with any write-ups, do some fact-checking first. One can write a story based on viral social media post, but the story should be based on what you see, not merely an assumption.

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Meaning you should contact the person involved to gain some information and get more details in order to write an eye-catching story.

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Keep in track with your story
 

In addition, she also said that one should always do a follow-up story. How? Get relevant sources to comment on its legitimacy. In your follow-up story, include the background story of the ‘viral’ information that you had previously written before.

As a senior journalist in the industry, she highlighted and advised on the importance of reading more news to future journalists.

 

“The more you read, the more you know. If you want to work for the industry, you must be mentally and physically prepared for the tasks given to you,” advised Esther.

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It is better to cover a breaking news story step by step rather than rushing to get the truth, which could turn out to be wrong in the end.

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Haste causes misreporting, which may result in journalists having to deal with the consequences later. Reporting news accurately a little later than others can help in improving the credibility of your story.

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However, if media practitioners are slow in reporting a story without any reasons, they will be inferior to their competition, and fewer people will read the story. Although you cannot always get it right, it is vital to check and verify all the facts as quickly as you can before it is published.

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Often, it is not about making it first, but it is about getting it correct instead. As a journalist, it is crucial to ensure that the news is relevant and accurate, because the journalist is not only competing with each other in this age of technology, but also in this era where the citizen journalist themselves could write an intriguing story far better than verified ones.