INSTANT NEWS, DELAYED CORRECTIONS

The pressure for publishing companies and journalists to be first with the news is intense, no matter where in the world you are.

Press releases are published on the Internet in a matter of seconds in some cases, but when that information is wrong the damage can take far longer to correct.

Last week I received a press release that suggested Afghans would be increasingly important in Bangkok's luxury condominium sector. I included the story in my weekly radio slot on The Property Show on Malaysia's BFM 89.9, suggesting this news was surprising at best, but as the release included a quote from an executive at the research company then I went ahead and mentioned it.

On Monday, seven days after the release was issued and two days after I'd used the news on the radio, the research company issued a 'correction' saying the reference to Afghans was incorrect and it should have said Indians!

I'll be including the 'correction' when I record my piece for the radio station later today, but even three days after the 'correction' was issued there are still several websites that have the original story with the mention of Afghans. 

It can take seconds to publish but days to correct, as this incident shows.