TV stations are increasing their chances of getting their stories wrong, primarily by sourcing social media without having proper policies in place to vet it, a new Ithaca College study finds.
The study, conducted by associate journalism professor Anthony Adornato, shows 40% of affiliates don’t have procedures governing the use of information gleaned from social media. One-third of participating news directors said their stations have aired such information that turned out to be false or inaccurate.
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At the same time, however, stations are increasingly relying on social media to find stories, the study finds. Popular, or trending, stories and topics on social media are a significant factor in affiliates choosing what to cover.
