Editors resign over Cha's 'death'
By Pan Zheng |
December 11, 2010, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THREE editors at China Newsweek, including its deputy editor-in-chief, have resigned over the online publication of a rumor that best-selling novelist Louis Cha had died.
New media editor Deng Lihong saw a report of Cha's death on Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter, on Monday night when she was at home. She reposted the rumor using China Newsweek's account without naming the source of the story.
The news spread like wildfire with many people believing that the magazine, a respected publication with a reputation for accuracy, had confirmed the rumor.
But the story was soon found to be false. The 86-year-old Cha, famous for his martial arts novels under the pen name Jin Yong, answered the phone at his house when a reporter called and confirmed that he was not dead but enjoying his dinner.
Later that night, Liu Xinyu, the deputy editor-in-chief in charge of news on the China Newsweek website, posted: "The editor recopied the rumor in haste without confirmation, which exposed the editor's lack of professionalism as well as our management loopholes."
Liu accepted criticism from the public "on behalf of the magazine's new media."
He offered his resignation the following day.
Deng was fired and new media content supervisor Tang Yong, who was demoted and fined, later decided to resign.
Liu revealed the reasons behind his decision to resign on his personal Weibo page on Wednesday morning.
"I should be responsible for the mistake and the negative impact the rumor brought on the reputation of China Newsweek," he wrote.
Liu said that the new media should always follow the rules of good journalism, such as editors checking sources through multiple channels.
A number of online comments expressed pity for his situation and praised his "courage to take the responsibility."
Many felt he should be allowed to continue to work at the magazine.
However, Huang Hu, deputy director of the School of Journalism under Fudan University, approved of the resignation.
He said there had to be a punishment system for those who make mistakes.
"Journalists have an obligation to check the truthfulness of any news. It's their responsibility," Huang said.
New media editor Deng Lihong saw a report of Cha's death on Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter, on Monday night when she was at home. She reposted the rumor using China Newsweek's account without naming the source of the story.
The news spread like wildfire with many people believing that the magazine, a respected publication with a reputation for accuracy, had confirmed the rumor.
But the story was soon found to be false. The 86-year-old Cha, famous for his martial arts novels under the pen name Jin Yong, answered the phone at his house when a reporter called and confirmed that he was not dead but enjoying his dinner.
Later that night, Liu Xinyu, the deputy editor-in-chief in charge of news on the China Newsweek website, posted: "The editor recopied the rumor in haste without confirmation, which exposed the editor's lack of professionalism as well as our management loopholes."
Liu accepted criticism from the public "on behalf of the magazine's new media."
He offered his resignation the following day.
Deng was fired and new media content supervisor Tang Yong, who was demoted and fined, later decided to resign.
Liu revealed the reasons behind his decision to resign on his personal Weibo page on Wednesday morning.
"I should be responsible for the mistake and the negative impact the rumor brought on the reputation of China Newsweek," he wrote.
Liu said that the new media should always follow the rules of good journalism, such as editors checking sources through multiple channels.
A number of online comments expressed pity for his situation and praised his "courage to take the responsibility."
Many felt he should be allowed to continue to work at the magazine.
However, Huang Hu, deputy director of the School of Journalism under Fudan University, approved of the resignation.
He said there had to be a punishment system for those who make mistakes.
"Journalists have an obligation to check the truthfulness of any news. It's their responsibility," Huang said.
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