The immediacy of the web has changed the relationship between the journalist and the general public. I noticed at the Obama speech on Friday the amount of journalists sitting with their laptops creating their story as events unfolded. It is obviously a great feat of modern invention but it is why news online has lower credibility than print media. As journalists post a news story before an event is even over it is quite possible that the account of the events could turn out slanted. It would seem that online journalists have an even greater responsibility of remaining non-biased because their stories are often not fully informed.

Ex- Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker was involved in a plane crash this Friday and remains in serious condition. However the first reports on the event (which were put online) were saying that he had died in the crash. Clearly, this is a huge mistake and has large consequences. But journalists are not really to blame either. Our society demands the most up to date news available to them at an any given point in time. And because the news online has smashed the divide between reader and journalist, journalists are much more vulnerable and open for attack at any mistakes they do make.