Today a Twitter account was configured to look like it belonged to a reputable major market, print media sports reporter. A reporter who I’ve met and read for years. Extremely well-respected person in the industry.
We now know that Twitter account was fake.
As the Chris Henry story unfolded today, the fake account Tweeted inaccurate information about Henry’s condition.
More specifically, Gregg Rosenthal of NBC’s PRO FOOTBALL TALK reports: “a fake Twitter account led to multiple outlets from newspapers to major sports and news blogs to repeat information that Henry passed away.”
SbB was one of those sites and I apologize for the misinformation that was momentarily posted. I’m not going to identify the reporter unwittingly dragged into the situation nor dignify the person who set up the bogus account.
Because of fake accounts, Twitter as a legitimate news source was already on the wane. As it should be, considering what happened today. The days of reporting stories based on information from Twitter accounts is rapidly coming to a close.
9:06 pm on December 16th, 2009
Glad to see you admit your mistake. Good job!
9:13 pm on December 16th, 2009
Twitter is for twits…
9:35 pm on December 16th, 2009
Cant believe you base your profession on Twitter. God thank the heavans I do not have to that. Twitter is a catch 22.
Brooks - great site - but take a 30 second TO on Tiger and get back to what made you.
9:37 pm on December 16th, 2009
rip chris henry….
10:04 pm on December 16th, 2009
Couldn’t agree more with denverpilot……give the Tiger posts a break. Sure, you are getting the TMZ crowd to come to your site but you are driving away true sports fans that have been with you.
When the smoke clears, neither of us will have any use for the site….TMZ will move on and the true followers would have found another blog
10:35 pm on December 16th, 2009
@NotJayCutler thinks fake Twitter accounts are absurd.
10:43 pm on December 16th, 2009
You people ought to be ashamed of yourselves if you took ANYTHING on Twitter as the gospel truth. You’re losing your credibility big time. You are no better than Perez Hilton right now.
12:25 am on December 17th, 2009
“I apologize for the misinformation that was momentarily posted.”
momentarily is subjective i guess
7:49 am on December 17th, 2009
Another voice asking for a moratorium on Tiger news. It’s been driving the real sports fans away…
11:28 am on December 17th, 2009
I second the Tiger stuff. I’ve haven’t been here since it was all tiger all the time. Just came for the Henry update.