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into action in a way it had never done before. On Sept. 11, for =
instance, the news came primarily from the television and radio, with =
online news sources playing a decidedly supporting role. Not so last =
Monday, when our first notification of the emergency came just minutes =
after the blast, via a Twitter news source.

By monitoring social media tools, we received dozens of updates from a =
host of federal, state and city agencies and disaster response groups. =
We monitored police and fire radio traffic in Boston using online =
scanner feeds. We also reached out to our readers in the area, and even =
obtained a dramatic photo of the scene from an anonymous cell phone =
user.

But for news outlets driven by the relentless need to be first, the easy =
flow of information carried risks. Some sources readily reported rumors =
from self-appointed citizen journalists, like the story that the city =
had cut all cell phone service to prevent additional bombs from being =
detonated. Or the nonexistent bomb said to have been placed under the =
bleachers at the finish line.

Feeling the same temptation, some of us turned to social media outlets =
for information on the disaster, only to find that misinformation was =
spreading quickly. Like the man who proposed to his girlfriend minutes =
before she was killed in the blast. And the botched government coverup =
that suggested that the principal of Sandy Hook Elementary, who died in =
the school shooting, also died in the bombing.

Some citizens used the power of the Internet to repeat unreliable =
information from reliable sources, like people who posted reports based =
on Boston scanner transmissions on the day of the bombing. As =
responsible journalists know, there's lots of incorrect or incomplete =
information in public safety broadcasts. But in the old days, only =
reporters regularly listened to police scanners; now anyone, anywhere, =
can do it.

In a story as emotionally charged and disruptive as the Boston Marathon =
bombings, a certain amount of erroneous reporting is to be expected. But =
when major news outlets falsely report that an arrest had been made, =
it's difficult to justify that kind of error. When the New York Post =
published front page photos of so-called suspects who were, in fact, =
completely innocent, it's horrifying. And when "citizen journalists" =
posted reports falsely fingering a missing man from Brown University as =
a likely bombing suspect, it's unforgivable.

Our society needs journalists who adhere to high standards of =
professionalism. When they fall short, we should hold them accountable. =
But as consumers of news, we also need to remember that the need for =
speed sometimes jeopardizes the need for accuracy.