Enjoy the lull, Idaho; the circus is returning to Moscow soon.
Next month for a hearing and just after the fall semester starts, international and national journalists will set up shop here getting ready for the Bryan Kohberger trial. And along with bona fide journalists will be a score of internet sleuths/freelance “reporters.”
As a journalist, it is the last group that bothers me the most. Internet sleuths/reporters are rarely well versed in ethical investigative journalism techniques. That is a problem because they may offer rumor and speculation instead of facts when they report their stories on whatever channel they use, normally TikTok or YouTube.
Why does this bother me? Why should I care? I do care deeply about truth and accuracy. I am a big fan of justice, but not justice at the cost of truth. There must be measured research and investigation for all the facts, not rumor and supposition.
In addition, I know how damaging journalism as a profession can be to people. Just the scope of certain news stories damage people’s lives – especially people being charged with crimes. The damage often goes beyond the individual involved to the families, many of whom are innocent but still get tainted with a broad brush.
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