Real-time Media Criticism

I was starting to gather links for another post on how Twitter users scooped the mainstream media on a plane crash, as in New York City and Buffalo recently, but found that The Telegraph was already on the case. CNN has a similar post on the power of citizen journalism but still turned to a mainstream source (RTL) for one of the accompanying photos.

Today, it was Twitter user “nipp” – identified as Jonathan Nipp by The Telegraph – who appears to have broken the news first, about 15 minutes ahead of the MSM, including the generally swift BBC.

Nipp reported: “Airplane crash @ Schiphol Airport Amsterdam!!”

Among many updates, Nipp twice called out CNN:
CNN apparently knows about the casualties. Can’t imagine where they got their info.”
CNN reports 1 dead and 20 wounded. But with a plane in three pieces this can’t possibly be correct.

The CNN reports later proved to be erroneous but Nipp followed up accurately: “The press conference confirmed 9 deaths and over 50 wounded.” (Confirmed by AP)

 This time, CNN neither got it first nor got it right, but at least one citizen journalist did both.