Modulator

Check the Facts

Eugene Volokh gives us this model of blogger fact checking:

1. Blog reader alerts blogger to possible problem.

2. Blogger posts about it, with some tentative speculation.

3. Another blog reader checks the facts (I hadn't known that there was an audio of Justice Moore's remarks available, but the reader did know) and lets blogger know.

4. Blogger rechecks the facts to satisfy himself (and preserve his own credibility, since he's about to say something pretty definitive).

5. Blogger posts the proof of the error.

And all this happened within a couple of hours, starting only hours after the story was posted. Of course, it would be better still if this were followed by (6) the media outlet corrects the error (prompted partly by the blogger's e-mail). We'll see whether that happens, though I'm not holding my breath . . . .

I think we will see number 6 but that it will be an evolutionary process. What may happen sooner is that 'big media' will improve their own fact checking to save regular embarrassment.

Posted by Steve on August 14, 2003