Home News Reviews Forums Shop


The Importance of Proper News Reporting

What was that?

The Importance of Proper News Reporting

Postby dolphinius_rex on Wed Sep 27, 2006 4:19 pm

I recently had an experience with another optical media technology site (that will remain nameless...), and it struck me as being an excellent example of some of the things NOT to do in news reporting, and the importance of tracking back information to the original source.

Initially I saw this posted on the front page of another site:

Expensive PS3 titles!
Posted by Quema34 on 27 September 2006 - 04:44 - Source: The Inquirer


GristyMcFisty submitted this news regarding a report at The Inquirer, mentioning the prohibitive cost of new PS3 releases. With each title costing as much as ~ $ 100 each, it is hard to imagine what Sony is thinking with pricing the titles so high. However, the article itself points out why:

At the heart of the price rice [sic] was the fact that Sony has been unable turn the PS3 into an open platform in time. It has not produced a development environment, manuals, security management and community features.


This further supports Sony's philosophy of selling higher-cost merchandise than the competition (which would be the Xbox), but adds the further dimension here of Sony passing on its development failure to the consumer through cost. But how sad! How is the consumer responsible for Sony's lack of proper and timely project development? This kind of attitude (regardless of how wonderful and graphic-rich PS3 titles might be) is so arrogant and presumptuous that any consumers recognizing it as such will be further turned off from future Sony offerings--saying nothing of balking at the console and title prices! At least in this one case, it is clear Sony desperately needs better project management and certainly given its wanton carelessness on the recent 5.9 million + Lithium-ion notebook battery recall, suggests it needs a serious makeover in management, manufacturing and the workers it uses. These exorbitant prices will not make people new Sony fans, and could cause even hardcore PS fans to reconsider and/or switch to a lower-cost option. It makes one wonder how much money Sony will lose to the Xbox pricing by such stupidity!


I tried realy hard to bold the statements where the poster's commentary borders on libel, and crosses the line of being a professional opinion into just inflamatory commentary meant to make all the readers switch to have the same opinion. Unfortunately, there was so much I probably should have just bolded the whole thing.

So aside from the fact that it was completely unprofessional and inflammatory, the poster made a one really big mistake. You'll notice that at the top of the post, it says the information was taken from the The Inquirer. Here's a link to that source:
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=34617

The inquirer however links to their source also! Which is here:
http://ps3.ign.com/articles/734/734950p1.html

Now looking at the IGN article you see that the news came from a Japanese site originally:
http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/ ... /rt013.htm

In actual fact, it is QUITE likely that the costs per PS3 game mentioned in the article is ONLY true for the Japanese market (if that... we still don't have confirmation that this is going to happen). What we *DO* know is that many sites have PS3 pre-orders already up for much lower prices then quoted in any of the news postings listed above.

The point I'm making is that if you're going to run a news site, you *NEED* to track the information back to the original source. As a news site, you have a responsability to act and write professionally, and make an effort to report genuine news, or at least tag rumours as rumours.

It really makes me sick when people and companies try to use news postings to make their opinion look like the only truth possible.
Punch Cards -> Paper Tape -> Tape Drive -> 8" Floppy Diskette -> 5 1/4" Floppy Diskette -> 3 1/2" "Flippy" Diskette -> CD-R -> DVD±R -> BD-R

The Progression of Computer Media
User avatar
dolphinius_rex
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 6923
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2003 6:14 pm
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada

Postby Ian on Wed Sep 27, 2006 4:32 pm

CD Freaks calls themselves a "weblog", which IMO gives them the right to interject a little bit of opinion into their news posts. At the same time, some of their news posters (like Quema34) do go a bit overboard, especially when it comes to Sony.

If you're going to post news... state the facts and try to stay fairly neutral. If you want to go off on a tangent and rant about how Sony sucks because of their high prices or DRM, write an editorial or something.

Anyway, this is the "Rants and Raves" section of the forum but please keep it civil.
"Blu-ray is just a bag of hurt." - Steve Jobs
User avatar
Ian
Grand Poobah
 
Posts: 15127
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2001 2:34 pm
Location: Madison, WI

Postby MonsterMan on Wed Sep 27, 2006 5:24 pm

I say your reply on that page:

CDFreaks wrote:[post deleted--personal attacks are against CDFreaks reaction policy.]


Idiots.

That's why I always just come here :)
BenQ 1655, BenQ 1620, LG 4167, Plex PX-716SA, Samsung SH-S162L, SH-S182M, Pioneer 111D, Lite-On SHM-165H6S and 1.9TB of HDDs to feed 'em and an X2/4800 to crunch for 'em.
MonsterMan
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 387
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 7:38 pm

Postby dolphinius_rex on Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:34 pm

Hrm.... looks like the news post is no longer on their page. That happened once this morning already, and then it came back. I wonder if it's down for good this time?
Punch Cards -> Paper Tape -> Tape Drive -> 8" Floppy Diskette -> 5 1/4" Floppy Diskette -> 3 1/2" "Flippy" Diskette -> CD-R -> DVD±R -> BD-R

The Progression of Computer Media
User avatar
dolphinius_rex
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 6923
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2003 6:14 pm
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada

Postby dolphinius_rex on Tue Jan 09, 2007 5:18 pm

Looks like Quema34 is continuing his personal war, and slaughtering (disabling) anyone who doesn't agree with his opinion:

http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/The-RIAA-v ... t-all.html

It's always really easy to tell which news posts are made by Quema34 too, just pick out all over the top anti-RIAA and anti Sony/BluRay stuff, and his name will be on it.

Now, I hate the RIAA more then is probably even reasonable, but I'm just getting sick of the same crap being shoved down my throat every day about them.

Hopefully someone will realize just how much he's putting people off of CDFreaks, and take appropriate action.
Punch Cards -> Paper Tape -> Tape Drive -> 8" Floppy Diskette -> 5 1/4" Floppy Diskette -> 3 1/2" "Flippy" Diskette -> CD-R -> DVD±R -> BD-R

The Progression of Computer Media
User avatar
dolphinius_rex
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 6923
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2003 6:14 pm
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada

Postby Ian on Tue Jan 09, 2007 8:34 pm

I take it there were a number of other comments there, aside from his own?
"Blu-ray is just a bag of hurt." - Steve Jobs
User avatar
Ian
Grand Poobah
 
Posts: 15127
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2001 2:34 pm
Location: Madison, WI

Postby dolphinius_rex on Tue Jan 09, 2007 10:24 pm

Ian wrote:I take it there were a number of other comments there, aside from his own?


One or two from the one person, and one from myself informing the poster that it's easier to just learn which news posters were worth reading the news from :wink:

For all their work on the front page, why of WHY couldn't have CDFreaks have included an "ignore news poster" function? :cry:
Punch Cards -> Paper Tape -> Tape Drive -> 8" Floppy Diskette -> 5 1/4" Floppy Diskette -> 3 1/2" "Flippy" Diskette -> CD-R -> DVD±R -> BD-R

The Progression of Computer Media
User avatar
dolphinius_rex
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 6923
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2003 6:14 pm
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada

Postby Ian on Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:09 pm

It just surprises me that with so many new products and announcements this week, they take the time to report on RIAA lawsuits.
"Blu-ray is just a bag of hurt." - Steve Jobs
User avatar
Ian
Grand Poobah
 
Posts: 15127
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2001 2:34 pm
Location: Madison, WI

Postby dolphinius_rex on Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:31 am

Ian wrote:It just surprises me that with so many new products and announcements this week, they take the time to report on RIAA lawsuits.


well, OTHER news posters are following relevent news.... :wink:
Punch Cards -> Paper Tape -> Tape Drive -> 8" Floppy Diskette -> 5 1/4" Floppy Diskette -> 3 1/2" "Flippy" Diskette -> CD-R -> DVD±R -> BD-R

The Progression of Computer Media
User avatar
dolphinius_rex
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 6923
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2003 6:14 pm
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada

Postby dodecahedron on Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:39 pm

looks like they deleted some of the responses.
some 'objective' news reporting...
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie
-- JRRT
M.C. Escher - Reptilien
User avatar
dodecahedron
DVD Polygon
 
Posts: 6865
Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2002 12:04 am
Location: Israel

Postby Ian on Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:45 pm

I can see some moderation might be necessary if people are using four letter words or breaking rules in some way. However, I gotta agree with Dolph that there seems to be an excessive amount of censorsh.. err moderation with Quema's news posts. If you don't like what people are saying about your news posts, maybe change the way you're doing them?
"Blu-ray is just a bag of hurt." - Steve Jobs
User avatar
Ian
Grand Poobah
 
Posts: 15127
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2001 2:34 pm
Location: Madison, WI

Postby dolphinius_rex on Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:40 pm

What's really annoying is that anytime anyone calls Quema34 on his news posts, their posts disappear and sometimes their account is disabled. "freedom of speech? we don't need no freedom of speech!"
Punch Cards -> Paper Tape -> Tape Drive -> 8" Floppy Diskette -> 5 1/4" Floppy Diskette -> 3 1/2" "Flippy" Diskette -> CD-R -> DVD±R -> BD-R

The Progression of Computer Media
User avatar
dolphinius_rex
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 6923
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2003 6:14 pm
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada

Postby LoneWolf on Thu Jan 11, 2007 12:50 pm

dolphinius_rex wrote:What's really annoying is that anytime anyone calls Quema34 on his news posts, their posts disappear and sometimes their account is disabled. "freedom of speech? we don't need no freedom of speech!"
Something like this happened to me on another forum a few weeks ago. A pretty big one, as well, which for the time being I'll leave un-named here to remain professional.

A mod on said forum took two of my posts in a thread incorrectly as a personal attack. He could have PM-ed me and asked what was going on, but I got IP-banned, without any questions asked. I didn't curse, I didn't call anyone out, so I was quite surprised to find my IP banned, and then (when I went in through another IP) my account disabled. I sent a couple of polite messages to the admin and the mod; I never got any replies, but my account was ultimately restored and my IP unbanned. Still, as a mod, I feel you a) need to have a semi-thick skin, (unless it involves profanity, blatant racism or harrassment, or obviously directed personal attacks) and b) have to at least go to the trouble of talking with a forum member at least once before getting upset and banning someone outright, even if you think you're being personally attacked.

It's obvious that if someone is blacking out posts willy-nilly that call into question original statements intended as factual, that there's a bigger issue. The OP/mod sounds like he not only has a bias, but has pride/ego issues as well that don't allow him to let his opinion be construed as anything less than fact.
Intel Q9450 @3.2GHz, Gigabyte GA EP45-UD3P, 4 x 2GB G.Skill @4-4-4-12
Antec P160SW case (modded), Xigmatek 750w PSU
3x 500GB (RAID-5), , OptiArc 7200S, ASUS E818A3T
Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer, Hauppauge HVR-1800, Radeon 4890
Dell 2407WFP
User avatar
LoneWolf
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 937
Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2003 4:41 pm
Location: Meecheegan

Postby dodecahedron on Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:03 pm

from a post on cdfreaks a long time ago:
1mechaj wrote:... are the reason I do not take cdfreaks seriously anymore. ... they have no interest in objectivity and therefore I cannot trust the content.
('they' being the site staff)
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the land of Mordor, where the Shadows lie
-- JRRT
M.C. Escher - Reptilien
User avatar
dodecahedron
DVD Polygon
 
Posts: 6865
Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2002 12:04 am
Location: Israel

Postby dolphinius_rex on Thu Jan 11, 2007 2:38 pm

dodecahedron wrote:from a post on cdfreaks a long time ago:
1mechaj wrote:... are the reason I do not take cdfreaks seriously anymore. ... they have no interest in objectivity and therefore I cannot trust the content.
('they' being the site staff)


Yeah, I don't generally read the reviews on there anymore because I've found them to be questionable in a lot of cases. More because I don't trust their methods, and therefore the data is next to meaningless to me. Their forum has improved much over the last year or so, and I don't mind posting there now, but I usually just rely on people pointing me to various topics, and hardly ever go browsing on my own (probably did it maybe 3-4 times in 2006 total). Their news postings on the other hand, although a complete pain in the ass to preview from their new layout, I read these days more for comic relief then anything else. Unfortunately, before Quema34 became a prevailent news editor, I actually took their news posts seriously.
Punch Cards -> Paper Tape -> Tape Drive -> 8" Floppy Diskette -> 5 1/4" Floppy Diskette -> 3 1/2" "Flippy" Diskette -> CD-R -> DVD±R -> BD-R

The Progression of Computer Media
User avatar
dolphinius_rex
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 6923
Joined: Fri Jan 31, 2003 6:14 pm
Location: Vancouver B.C. Canada

Postby SkaarjMaster on Fri Jan 12, 2007 9:51 am

I keep thinking about joining the CD Freaks forum, but I seem to get all the info I need here and at other sites about CD/DVD issues. Besides, anything important to my problems/questions that has an answer over there is usually linked by some kind person. :D
MSI (unnamed laptop): GS75 Stealth 95F, Pioneer BDR-XD07B
SKAARJ-LAPTOP: Asus G750JW-NH71
SKAARJMASTERDUO: WinXPSP3,C2D E8600,Gigabyte EP45-UD3P,Pioneer DVR-216D,BenQ DW1655,Asus E818A3T.
User avatar
SkaarjMaster
CD-RW Player
 
Posts: 515
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2003 1:06 pm
Location: Sarasota, Florida USA


Return to Rants n' Raves

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest

All Content is Copyright (c) 2001-2024 CDRLabs Inc.