It’s true that when it comes to news, there’s a tension between being first and being right. The daily print cycle means that there used to be time for editors and reporters to discuss the way a story should be framed, to check the fact, look for additional sources, before anyone outside the newsroom even heard about it.
Now that process is becoming public, and it’s worth thinking about the consequences of having that conversation with a public audience:
This is where the print newspaper and the digital newspaper are colliding. The traditional once-a-day cycle allows more time for reporting and thoughtful discussion about how a story should be framed. What happened in this case is that normal news reporting, in which a story changes in content, tone and emphasis as more is learned, played out in front of the whole world, instead of in the newsroom before publication. In the process, Kennedy took an unfair hit.
The fact is there’s value in being right as well as being first. And I think it’s a sustainable strategy to wait, and develop a brand around authority.
Eat Sleep Publish is a Seattle-based blog that explores the difficulties and opportunities currently facing the publishing industry. 
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