Who makes the news?

A group of people died at the weekend and somehow social media became a sort of Chinese whispers where people were spreading false news.

And so it got me wondering who makes the news and how could they get things so wrong.

I think in these times where fast isn’t quick enough, people put being the first (or one of the first) to break a story over getting all the facts. One broadcasting company even showed a video of the wrong person, who was in fact still alive and not involved in the accident whatsoever.

Or maybe it’s us, reading the headlines and filling in the blanks because that’s easier and sometimes more interesting than the truth. But filling in the blanks and spreading fake news isn’t useful.

Spreading fake news reduces the integrity of journalism and in times of tragedy can cause unnecessary hurt and confusion.

So to the people that make the news and the ones that spread it, think more and handle it with care.