Faking out the news

OK, I get it that we live in an age when the Internet can make it hard to tell impostors from the real deal. I understand (believe me I understand) the rush to beat the competition to a breaking story. I cut my teeth as a reporter for a wire service in New York City.
But there is no excuse for going with a story without verifying it first.
The latest example involves a group called the Yes Men, which advocates for left-leaning causes. It issued a press release on fake Chamber of Commerce stationary saying the Chamber was reversing its long-held opposition to cap-and-trade legislation. (Read a report here.)
CNBC and Reuters fell for it. This, despite the fact the name of the Chamber’s president was misspelled and the names of contacts were for people who don’t work for the Chamber.
Later, at a fake press conference at the National Press Club, a real Chamber official confronted the fake ones in a bizarre spectacle.
A month ago, CNN listened to scanners and began reporting a military training exercise in the Potomac as if it were a real incident.
The good news is these mistakes can be correctly quickly. The other good news is this kind of tactic won’t help the cause of the Yes Men. The bad news is it still makes news organizations look bad.
Like everyone else in this business, I’ve made my share of mistakes through the years, misunderstanding facts or hearing something wrong. That doesn’t excuse me. Nor is there an excuse for rushing with a story you haven’t nailed down.
I can guarantee there will be more attempts to dupe the media in the future.
Just because we have a 24-hour news cycle doesn’t mean the old J-school rule doesn’t still apply — if your mother says she loves you, check it out.