Note: As of July 3, 2009, only the RSS feeds on this blog will be updated so I can focus my energies on my 
And now about the headline. After the stories about Bernie Mac and John Edwards reminded everyone of the way the tension between rumor and verifiable fact, and between tabloid and mainstream reporting, I was not prepared to accept the news of Isaac Hayes' death when it showed up in my Twitter feed at about 3:40 pm. I tweeted back, "where are you getting that from?" and a this Memphis TV news story was tweeted in response. I checked Google news as well as Hayes' official website, and found nothing but a list of upcoming appearances. I then sent a query to the NABJ list. CNN finally posted the news on its blog at 4:03, repeating pretty much what had been in the WMC-TV story. By that time, the story had been re-tweeted several times, with and without links.
A Google blogsearch at 4:20 brought up a story from TMZ. That story, which according to the website was posted at 3:36.
A message posted at 4:13 to the NABJ list noted this story on the site of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, with word that Memphis television and radio are covering it heavily. According to the Commercial Appeal's website, their story was posted at 3:02 and updated at 3:28. The CA story adds details not in the other stories as well.
But there is some confusion. The Commercial Appeal story says Hayes was found unconscious in his home at 1 pm and pronounced dead at 2:10 pm. The WMC story says he died at 2:08 am. Also, some stories list him as 65, others as 66. According to the biography on his site, Hayes was born on August 20, 1942.
Conclusions: 1. Breaking news is bound to be accompanied by confusion over details that get corrected over time. However, Hayes' age was easy to check, and enough eyes have seen these stories now that the time of death should have been corrected. 2. Twitter is an incredibly efficient way to spread news that might otherwise have escaped immediate notice. 3. Any news site that wants to get readers' share of mind quickly needs mastery of the best practices from new and old media worlds.
UPDATE: The WMC story originally read as follows:
Hayes was taken to Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, where he was pronounced dead at 2:08am.
The 4:40 pm update lists the time of death at 2:08 pm. A correction is not noted.
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4 comments:
Professor Kim,
See this where old school media outlets are resistant to the new technology of blogs and twitter. They just refuse to accept that their news outles are at best...old news.
The Story broke first on Twitter, why because http://www.rawdawgbuffalo.blogspot.com got the call from Mr. Hayes daughter. He then posted it on Twitter. The rest is as they say history.
Prof. Kim - An era is ending, for sure...and whenever one of these remarkable people passes, I'm struck by how few people with true charisma and talent to accompany fame are left in the entertainment industry. (Also wondering if Trey and Matt from South Park have yet or will say anything.)
Hi Babz - Thanks for that link.
Hello there!
Thank you for remembering Isaac Hayes...
He was a different kind of brotha...he was pro-black at a time when black men were trying to be Barry "the good black" Obama in order to reach their goals in life...and he was a man's man...he was not afraid to portray a different type of black masculinity...
People think Michael Jordan was fashionable with his bald head look...please...Isaac was rocking a bald head with his sexy self when Michael was still in diapers! *LOL*
Thank you for remembering a unique man...his life journey was not in vein...he will be remembered with much respect by millions...
Peace, blessings and DUNAMIS!
Lisa
This is an interesting combination of tribute and commentary.
Over the past few weeks I have been noticing what you just put into words - the increasing tendancy to learn about world events through personal story via twitter rather than 'official' news sources.
I like this. I like the sense of added legitimacy (not sure I like the word, but can't think of another one right now) to personal story(ies) - that I can learn news through the immediate responses of people I care about. Hot.
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