[Ken Gracey]

While most of you today where enjoying your Weeties and Porridge, a media source in the USA posted up that Steve Jobs had died, on twitter, ( of course this is still unconfirmed) fingers crossed he is still well.

60 seconds later, twitter went into meltdown, Apple shared dropped $6.70 in seconds, and from what I read, Apples switch board light up, with questions on what happened.

While all this was going on, JZ and myself were firing emails back and forward at 6.30 am, wondering if our hero was gone.

Which sort of leads me to the question, was else over the years has the media got wrong ? and is twitter really a trust worthy place to get your news fix ever 5 minutes ?

[BrianB]

Bloody hell I never knew that was going on.

Twitter can cause all sorts of problems if someone gets something wrong.

And no, I wasn't eating porridge or weetbix, I was changing a dirty nappy.

[JZ]

Yeah TL and I were frantically trying to get the bottom of this. I resisted putting up post hoping it was all a crazy rumour. Thankfully it was.


jz
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[Ken Gracey]

Just an update to this story, the lady at CBS in the states has just been fired for her tweet on jobs passing.

[BrianB]

Good... How stupid of her.

[JZ]

I agree Brian.


jz
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[Islandhead]

Phew, I'm glad I NEVER make mistakes at work and from the sound of it you guys are the same

[Ken Gracey]

hey we are Perfect, Just ask us

[BrianB]

Of course we are perfect....

[JZ]

I've definitely made mistakes at work but I've never had problems disguising between the living and the dead.


jz
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[Islandhead]

I see what you mean JZ, but not really a good example.

I've never mistaken a seam of coal for something that turned out to be worthless shale, but that is because I am not a geologist.

Just think a sincere apology would have sufficed (as we do all make mistakes even for those who think you are perfect ) rather than a career ending termination.

[gracer]

Wow. Not even sure if this can be justified as a mistake. Surely as a global, premier news service you would have sources, confirmation and hard evidence of something as prevalent as this announcement?

I have to say, it's beginning to irk me that due to the fact that Jobs is obviously unwell, everybody wants to be the first to take 'that photo' or announce his demise/passing. Even the tone people use when speaking about him, as though it's the lead up to his obituary, or worse – they write in past tense. Don't bury a man so readily.

He's one of the most powerful leaders in the world, so yes, public interest is huge. But at some point the argument needs to be made that he is, in fact, human. And with that acknowledgement and his current situation, ethics should be a consideration.

I imagine it would be hardest for his family, to be subjected to this ongoing circus.

And when sites like Twitter are consumed as a 'hard' news service, the journalist's code of ethics gets left behind in the dust of tweets.

Tricky moral dilemma. Agreed that she should have been fired.

G

[Islandhead]

Would you be saying she should have lost her job if it was about someone else? I guess the fact this is a Mac forum and you believe he is one of the most powerful leaders in the world skew the resulting answer I suppose. (over the past few years many people have 'died' on twitter. From what i remember poor Jeff Goldblum even had to phone his mum to let her know he was fine, were you so incensed by this 'death' and all the others?)

Not that it matters one iota as this will only happen more and more... We seem to living in a more and more perverse celebrity news society and I can see that the first person/entity that comes up with any major news item could jump the gun in their haste to get a scoop.

[gracer]

I think, ultimately, a journalist should be held accountable for headlines they publish. Regardless of whether we are discussing Steve Jobs on a Mac site, or in fact, Blondie on an '80s tribute fan site. Celebrity or average Joe, the announcement of death without legitimacy is wrong. She could have added one pivotal word to the tweet: speculation, rumour, etc. As a professional in the industry of news she has an obligation and responsibility to report with ethics. Many a journo before her has been dismissed for the same disregard.

When a journalist joins the profession they agree to abide by a code of ethics, part of that commitment is full accountability for violating its terms and conditions.

I say that Jobs is one of the most powerful leaders in the world, simply because he is. When you look at cultural, consumer and economical trends, Apple is at the core (pardon the pun) of significant growth. He was at the helm of the company (in founding it and its subsequent resurgence years later), and as such, I don't think anyone (fan or not) would dispute that a public figure with such a high profile doesn't generate public interest.

If a family member or friend of mine was reported as being dead when they were not, I would absolutely take legal action. As would most.

With power comes great responsibility. I fail to see evidence of it here, though.

G

[JZ]

Well written G


jz
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[Islandhead]

Yes JZ, I agree. A well written, thoughtful post. And the way you have eloquently written about the topic I must say you have changed my mind on the subject. It was the spiderman quote that did it for me;) Thanks Gracer

[gracer]

Go Spidey! A great cinematic moment to reference, I think

[Mychael]

Ok, so to misquote an old quote " his death was greatly overstated" or something like that and Apple shares took an immediate dive, what does everyone think is gunna happen (to shares) when the inevitable does one day happen.
I mean to say if share prices fell after they (albeit) incorrectly reported the death of a man known to be at the very least unwell one has to ask why if people are so concerned that they would immediatly bail out now after the 'event' and not begin a move away now before the inevitable must one day happen.
I don't believe Apple would collapse, it might eventually change direction a little but it's a big company now.

IF apple is so dependent on a Fanboy culture to keep it afloat then it likely will have problems in the future but any thinking person should realise it's as much about the company and the product as it is about the man.

[Islandhead]

This might fix the problem of errors in the news

http://www.news.nine...ace-journalists

[BrianB]

Grace I just love the way you write. I can read your posts all day..