Winkler: Facts matter in age of instantaneous expression

Technology such as Twitter is diminishing the value of journalism, Bloomberg editor in chief Matt Winkler said in a speech Tuesday in Dallas on the Southern Methodist University campus.

Kelsey Charles of The Daily Campus writes, “Social media and the idea of demonstrating information have become more popular than ever in recent years, but to Winkler, this newfound ‘spontaneous expression’ comes at a cost.

“‘The value of journalism is diminished by technology that allows us to obtain information or misinformation by a keystroke,’ Winkler said.

“Winkler cited incorrect Wikipedia profiles and misinformed tweets as examples of the negative affects of technology in journalism.

“‘We are in the age where people can say whatever they want to and they do,’ Winkler said.

“He further expanded on this idea by quoting Mark Twain: ‘A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes,’ Winkler said.

“For Winkler, there are five ‘F’s’ of journalism that he believes every journalist and media outlet should abide by: Be the first, final, fastest, most factual and future word.

“‘You want to be the first word and the fastest word, but you also want to be the final word,’ Winkler said.

“‘The more determined you are to be the first word, the more determined you will be to be the final or future word.’

“While breaking news is important, Winkler emphasized the idea of being correct.”

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