When we hear or see the word "terrorism," we have an almost inescapable flashback to 9/11, and we scramble for the nearest TV or computer to find out more. This is often what major national news organizations have come to rely upon to drive programming (and viewership).
For better or for worse, TV news is what many of us turn to during the 24-hour news cycle to stay informed. Print newspapers simply can't provide the kind of always-updated information that is so necessary in a time of crisis, while online news and the "blogosphere" are hotbeds of chaos and misleading information.
One of the most egregious reporting fouls came from the New York Post,which tweeted "Authorities ID a Saudi national as a suspect in Boston Marathon bombings." From reporting wildly inflated body counts to claiming the authorities had arrested a suspect (when in fact the supposed suspect was actually a witness), the Boston Marathon bombing was not the finest moment for many news outlets and various media personalities.
The Boston Globe, however, responded to the attack swiftly, tweeting out the latest updates and eliminating the paywall for all content relating to the bombing so that anyone could read. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal likewise shut down their paywall functions.
The role of social media, especially Twitter, in disseminating updated information (as well as misinformation) cannot be overstated.
Google enabled the "Person Finder" function to allow anyone with information about people involved in the incident, as well as those looking for family members or friends from the area, to provide such information in real time. The Boston Public Library Twitter account also provided information and reassurance after authorities reported that a there had been third explosion and a fire at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston. It appears that the fire was unrelated to the bombings.
Roberto Baldwin of Wired suggested that Bostonians unlock their Wi-Fi, so that runners and spectators from out of town could use the Internet to contact family members, as the Boston police had shut down cell phone towers around the city.
Technology has revolutionized the way we respond to major tragedies around the country and the world — sometimes for the better, sometimes not.
We can react to a bombing, a shooting, an oil spill, anything with far-reaching consequences in a far more timely manner, looking up information with a click of a mouse. Reports can be updated within seconds, but it takes much longer to counter faulty reporting with fact-checking. In the meantime, speculation runs rampant. There's only so much information a national news organization can gather in the aftermath of an attack that won't be colored with mass panic and an incessant need to publishing something, anything so that people keep clicking or tuning in.
In the wake of the ongoing investigation, knowing that Americans continue to come together in the face of hardship — to help runners who stumbled during the blast, to provide housing for stranded strangers, to keep running straight from the marathon's finish line to the local hospital to donate blood — has to be welcome news, for once. Want to join the conversation? Send an email to opiniondesk.statepress@gmail.com. Keep letters under 300 words and be sure to include your university affiliation. Anonymity will not be granted.
