What We’re Planning to Discuss on 10/21

Are breaking stories breaking the publishing business?

We’re wondering this in the wake of the Falcon Heene -better known as Balloon Boy- hoax. A few days after reporting live from the scene of the Heene family’s weather balloon’s crash landing, CNN deemed the event a stunt. Nevertheless, it was one in which Gawker paid dearly for an exclusive insider’s testimony that the entire thing was a not-so-well-orchestrated publicity stunt.

Earlier today we saw a false report that rapper Kanye West had died. (Thanks to Twitter’s new trending topic functionality, they reported: “Kanye West is not dead, but he did pull a surreal Spike Jonze directed video off of his website..”)

We are beginning to think that accuracy too often suffers at the altar of speed and we wonder if this gotta-have-it-now obsession is becoming tiresome, like Sanka for readers who long for a steaming hot cup of good coffeehouse brew.  Specifically we’re wondering:

Writers: Is it time to lay down the pen and wait for the events to unfold before rushing to report?
Editors: How damaging is getting an erroneous scoop if you have to back-pedal because of a hoax?
Publishers: How far are you willing to go out on a financial limb to secure an exclusive?

Join us tonight at 8:30pm EST to discuss these questions at www.friendfeed.com/editorchat.