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No Comments [ Add Comment ]Be wary of bloggers who weave ... a web of deception
By Brad Gillman"I wish I
had better news. I live near Yorba Linda and know some crew members and they informed me of his passing," posted someone identified only as "#7069" on March 19, 2007.
Earlier that day, National Hot Rod Association Funny Car driver Eric Medlen was injured in a testing accident in Gainesville, Fla.
All day, blogs and message boards were begging for more information.
Then, just after 9 p.m., the update that fans had feared was posted: Eric Medlen was dead.
"Godspeed ... RIP," wrote one fan.
One by one, the condolences started. Fans wrote about their memories of meeting Medlen and began to eulogize him.
Some users replied with angry messages, wondering where the news of Medlen's death came from. Photos of Medlen's mangled car were shown, as well as "eyewitness accounts." Seemed everyone had a connection, but none revealed their sources.
The next day, the NHRA released a press release. Medlen "remained in critical condition."
Tof Medlen's death had just become a rumor, spread across the worldwide Web. The fake news even made it back to the families that were personally affected by the accident.
"I think that where all the rumors came from is the way any story gets told," said John Medlen, Eric's father and crew chief. "Somebody adds their bit of misunderstanding to the story and it keeps going and going. Most of the conversation ends up being authenticated by no valid entity."
A new era
Blogging has become a staple of the Internet -- a tool that allows anyone the opportunity to air his/her voice.
According to the Pew Research Center, a quarter of all Americans get their news from the Internet, and that includes blogs and message boards. Users check up on local and national news, entertainment gossip, even politics.
Tyler Farrer, of North Salt Lake, is well aware of the power of the Internet. He started blogging more than two years ago on his site, the Davis County Watch.
When he started, he was just posting whatever he thought would be interesting. Then the South Davis Recreation Center came along.
He posted his displeasure about some of the financial issues of the rec center. He did some investigative work and uncovered some costs to the citizens of the area. Then and there, he discovered the power of fiber optics.
"In a very short amount of time, my first blog had gotten some comments and readers, and I realized the kind of impact that I have," Farrer said. "I decided that I should do politics."
Political blogging takes on a style of its own. Typically, when talking about news events, the user will post accurate stories. But, Farrer said, "At least on politics, it's not straight fact or fiction. Sometimes it is just your opinion on things."
Now, journalism students are being raised in this new form of electronic journalism.
"I don't think that it is stoppable," said Ron Yaros, journalism professor at the University of Utah. "I think that there are very important dimensions (to blogs), both positive and negative."
With all the power and influence that the Web has, even Farrer understands that the Web can also be an avenue
for rumors.
"It's interesting. There is an awful lot of misinformation out there -- especially in blogs," Farrer said. He has learned to separate the bloggers who are credible from those who are "up in the night."
The first step is to look at the blogger's track record. Check to see if other bloggers link to the page. Farrer's Web site links to over a dozen bloggers in just Davis County. All of them, he says, are credible sources.
Also, in message boards or blogs, look to see if the post itself links to any news sites that can validate the information. None of the posts on the Medlen crash had links to any news organization.
Sometimes, even knowing that a piece of information is just rumor is helpful.
"If you really think that as you are blogging that if you aren't accurate -- then you're just gossiping. At least say, 'I don't know this for sure' and provide some disclaimer that says that this is not confirmed, but ... ," Yaros said.
Those reading a blog should also check the comments that go with the blog. See what other users are saying about that information. There might even be a debate between the readers and the author.
"When (readers) see a debate in the comments, they'll know which side they want to go with," Farrer said. "I think people can (tell) fact from fiction in just seeing how the debate works out."
Farrer has some issues with people who blog anonymously. Sometimes, he says, they "can get away with a lot more things, untrue things, than those who say, 'Here's who I am,' "
Above all, realize that blogs aren't perfect.
Understand that erroneous information is out there. If you see info on one site, check another Web site, then another, then another.
Farrer said that he not only gets regular readers to his sites, but he also has reporters and public officials who check out his information on a regular basis.
That is what Yaros calls "collaborative journalism."
"If there is a news story that is accurate and factual from the local media and someone from the community can provide another dimension ... it does enhance the story. So if it is accurate, then I endorse it," Yaros said.
John Force said that the Medlen rumors were picked up by a couple of media outlets.
"But I don't think anyone was trying to do anything bad, they were just trying to get the story," said Force, NHRA all-time leader in wins and Medlen's car owner.
"But it did cause some pain, and we had already had enough -- especially John Medlen."
Internet got stupid
"It's really sad because the information hurts people," said Force.
Force has been the top draw in drag racing for decades now. His family is the subject of a reality show, "Driving Force," on the A&E cable channel. Through this storied career, he has seen many changes in media.
And the new Internet age is unbelievably huge to him.
"I believe that in the real world, it's good. It's progress. It's the future of our country ... of the world," Force said.
But to him, maybe the 'Net has gotten so big that it can be bad.
The Medlen accident aside, there has also been a new problem that crept up for him -- MySpace.com
This year, a fan came up to his daughter, Ashley Force, a widely popular driver in her rookie season, and started asking about what she posted on her MySpace accounts. She did not and has never had a MySpace account, John Force said.
"They made it up. Somebody made it, took her name and put it up there," Force said. "It's a crime."
Sure enough, there is a Web site out there that pretends to be Ashley Force's. Previous entries talked about family memories of visiting a town. In reality, the family had never visited that city. There is even a blog entry about how her dad told her of Eric's passing. In reality, she was at the track when he crashed, and she and John Force never left the hospital for a week.
They have written letters to get the information pulled -- but the sites still exist.
Words of pain
Alas, the Medlen story did not end well. Four days after the crash, his family honored his wishes and took him off life support.
Internet users were not tipped off to the news. This time, it came in the form of an official press release by the family.
This time, he was really gone.
Combined with the grief of losing a son, the family also had the extra hurt of the rumors. After four months, they are still fighting to get out the accurate story of how he died.
Yet, they have no bitterness. Force still believes that the Internet is a "good thing" and that you can't live today without it.
Unfortunately, the tragedy will not deter future rumors.
"Rumors and gossip and inaccurate information are just going to happen with human beings," Yaros said.
"Now we just so happen to be sharing it with the world."
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