Friday, September 19, 2008

Fools Rush In

Editor's notes are included (boxed in pink) on a Time news story.

Anyone who's ever worked in a magazine newsroom knows that rushing is an understatement. After a few weeks of leisurely pondering over article ideas, the mad last-minute rush soon sets in as the magazine hurries to get the issue to print on time. It's the same every month--you avoid certain easily-stressed people. But when that monthly printing rush turns to a daily online rush, well, it can become very foolish.

Valleywag posted about Time Magazine's online slip-up concerning a Q&A with death expert Dr. Sam Parnia. In the online article, posted on Yahoo!News, an editor's comments are included at the top of the story. While I'm always intrigued by editor's notes as long as they aren't ruining my perfectly crafted words, it raises the question of how quickly are stories rushed online. In a magazine newsroom, the story would go through copy editors before being printed and checked once again. Is this error a sign of less professional reporting, or a step into making readers more involved in the reporting process?

No comments: