Writing here as a professional reporter/editor, I couldn't disagree more. The way in which the Jalopnik blogger went off was rather overboard -- we must remember that the CNN report is aimed at the general public -- but that's not nitpicking to point out that CNN made a full-out mistake in its report and no one caught it or knew enough to catch it. I won't bash CNN for that alone, but if it messed up in the report for whatever reason, it has to own it when it is pointed out.
So to write rubbish is acceptable if it is only meant for the general public? Bilgiferous drivel. When writing for the general public, and passing on information about which that public has little understanding, it is even more important that it should be correct in every detail, because to do so is to claim to educate, something which these two women signally failed to do - They didn't even bother to educate themselves much less anyone else. If you are saying that you, as a professional journalist, considered it acceptable to give of less than your best because "It is only for the general public", them shame on you.
A mistake is to spell a name incorrectly, get a date slightly wrong, misreport the colour of the Queen's dress. This was far worse than that, it was an article written by two women who had no knowledge of the subject and who could not be bothered to acquire the very little information needed to write an accurate piece. It was, at best lazy journalism, at worse a complete failure of a multi-billion dollar, international news organisation to police its own output. I can have no respect for a broadcaster who not only produces crap but then a) fails to acknowledge it, and b) does not reply to communications sent to them pointing out their cock-up. Would I now trust CNN to accurately report the news? No, I wouldn't.
Edited by Bloggsworth, 14 August 2013 - 08:20.
