Now that we have access to information from around the world 24/7, it's up to us what we believe. The faster it arrives in our feeds the quicker we can pass it along as truth to our followers. But what if our sources have it wrong? Are we adding to the confusion? When it comes to breaking news, are social media outlets such as Twitter just one big game of "Telephone"?
Case in point: Lil Wayne.
As of Friday evening everyone seems to agree that rapper Lil Wayne is in a hospital, but that's where the stories diverge. If you believe @LilTunechi's Twitter account then he is doing well:
If you follow Lil Wayne's friends then he may just be watching the Syracuse game:
With more information to come:
However, if you read tweets and reports from @TMZ you may have learned that Lil Wayne was in a coma, receiving his last rites (TMZ has since removed this "deathbed" detail from its story). The media outlet has posted several brief reports on Twitter including:
Which leads to news reports like this:
Followed by this:
As reports break on stories around the world, the speed at which we receive information is unbelievable which is why we should always take a beat and wait before adding to the noise. Or at the very least, admitting to our Chicken Little mentalities and posting our corrections in full view of our followers. How do you share breaking news?