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Mistaken story posting is a lesson in training gone awry
by Debra McCown, Bristol Herald Courier

It would seem the news business, like most other businesses, is entering the 21st century in fits and starts. This weekend a story was posted online under my by-line with the following headline:

BREAKING NEWS: Massive fire engulfs Eastman

6 dead; city on fire

When the story posted, I was spending a leisurely Saturday at home in Abingdon. The baby was asleep and I’d just snuggled down for an afternoon nap when my phone started ringing: “Is Eastman on fire?” First I asked why Eastman would be on fire—and then I remembered a training session on Thursday when the manager of our online division had created the fake story in an effort to teach us how to post stories to the Web.

The truth is there was no fire, but the 45 minutes the story spent online was enough for it to be seen by 1,112 viewers and generate a flood of calls and e-mails to two newsrooms—at both the Bristol Herald Courier and our news partner, WJHL Channel 11. It took unsuspecting weekend staffers by surprise because they didn’t know if Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport was on fire or not.

Some callers remembered the deadly Oct. 4, 1960, disaster at Eastman, when 16 people were killed and 400 injured in a chemical plant explosion. Others simply lived nearby and were concerned—or were calling from the company to let us know their facility was not, in fact, burning.

“Our fire department is swamped with calls,” wrote Wanda Valentine, spokeswoman for the company, in an e-mail Saturday. “Where did you get this story??”

Christine Riser, General Manager of Tricities.com, had created the story during a training session on Thursday with a future posting date. She believed she had de-activated and deleted the story to prevent it from posting to the site. Somehow, the story went live anyway on Saturday afternoon.

As the reporter whose by-line appeared with the story, of course I’m concerned the fake posting could damage my credibility—and people will have an even harder time believing it the next time Santa Claus helps police apprehend a streaker or a local celebrity gets arrested while trying to rescue a pot-bellied pig.

But in the end I have to just let it roll of my back at what happened and take a lesson from the modern ease of disseminating information worldwide. Sometimes our own technology overwhelms us and takes on a life of its own. The ease and immediacy at which we can put out the news before the competition can also be our own worst enemy. And part of living in the 21st century will be mastering the technological beast we’ve created.

Posted by Nik Brown

Washington County, Tennessee, parents are anxiously awaiting word of what schools their kids will attend next school year. The county recently approved its first complete redistricting in more than 30 years. It’s making way for two new elementary schools, which will wrap up construction this summer. Although redistricting could be tough on many parents and students, the district says it tried to make as little of an impact as possible. Still, about 1,600 students will changes schools in Fall 2008. Many students will head to the new schools, others will transfer among the current schools.

Washington County is trying to make the transition easier. Parents should mark their calenders for two public meetings about the redistricting within the next month. They will be held January 29th at David Crockett High School and February 12th at Daniel Boone. Both will begin a 7 pm. The district also says it will make things easier by being flexible when it comes to parents’ preferences. Director of Schools Grant Rowland says as long as the schools are not overcrowded, the district will address requests for changes on a case-by-case basis.

This story made me wonder what it would be like to be a parent curious if my kids would be uprooted. It can’t be an easy situation. Still, it sounds like Washington County is going to work with parents to make the transition as smooth as possible. For many, even the decision of open enrollment is a tough one. One parent we spoke with has two kids that attend Gray Elementary School (one in Kindergarten, one in Second Grade). Her kids love their current school and so does that parent, still she doesn’t hide her excitement about the possibility of sending her kids to a brand new school. If she had her choice, what would it be? I’m not sure she knows. If you could send your kids to a new school or keep them at their current one, which would you choose?

Posted by Nate Morabito