Roland Martin took to the streets of Twitter with fervor as he blasted so-called media outlets with poor journalistic integrity.
The Twitter-lashing was prompted by erroneous reports on Wednesday evening that claimed Hip Hop legend Biz Markie had passed away.
RELATED: Hip Hop Legend Biz Markie Did NOT Pass Away
The reports spread like wildfire despite even though the information was false.
Diddy’s Revolt outlet was the first to report the story.
Roland Martin says the outlet owes the public an apology for their irresponsible reporting.
Read his full rant below:
Listen to me: You CANNOT trust all so-called media outlets. A cheap ass way of doing “journalism” is to say So & so is “reportedly” dead. Well, who is the “reportedly”? Who are their sources? What are they basing the “report” on? who is quoted? This is why I don’t follow BS. 1/7
When I see a “story,” I first READ the article. I look to see what they are basing the information. When Twitter went crazy with the lie about @BizMarkie dying, I called a close friend of his, an industry legend. He said, “I talked to Biz today.” Not good enough. 2/7
Why? He could have talked to him at 2 pm, and stuff happens in 11 hours. He then said, “I talked to his wife.” I said, “when”?” Him: A few minutes ago. Me: “Text the wife now.” He did. Response? “Still alive.” I said, “Tell her I’m posting this, does she approve?” Him: “Yes.” 3/7
What did I do there? I CALLED a source. I didn’t RT some bullshit someone else “reported.” I chose to VERIFY myself. My source then called the wife. I then was SPECIFIC in my questions to establish the timeline before I “published.” This is what real journalists do. 4/7
People trust us. We can’t just toss out BS. A fellow TV journalist called me to say one female rapper hit him in tears over the news of @BizMarkie. Now she’s on an emotional rollercoaster because of an erroneous post. This stuff infuriates me. It’s just bad form. 5/7
The folks at @revolttv owe the public an apology for posting that story. I know @Diddy and @Detavio. There should be an IMMEDIATE assessment of their journalistic protocols to determine how that story got published on the site. There must be editorial standards in place. 6/7
ANY story that is published must be properly vetted & approved. The reporter who wrote it must be stand by their REPORTING. Stop this weak ass journalism of re-writing news based on someone else’s tweet that you never confirmed yourself. Old school: Trust AND verify. 7/7
Click here to read the original tweets.
While I agree with Roland Martin 100 percent on his stance, Revolt owes Biz Markie’s Family an apology.
The public has a responsibility to use discernment when reading things online.
I strive to maintain accuracy and integrity when reporting content because I understand the responsibility I have with this outlet.
Your thoughts?
