Provenance is becoming more important in many fields I’ll outline in a moment. Why? Because it’s possible. And because it’s possible, it becomes expected. The link enables provenance: click here to see the source. The web enables provenance: search here to find out where this came from. The link economy requires provenance: link to support journalism at its source. The link ethic demands provenance. Period.
via buzzmachine.com
Jeff Jarvis conveyed a well thought out point about the importance of a link and/or citation to back-up a news report. The post used the example of The Washington Post quoting unnamed sources to prop-up a story about U.S. Army General Stanley A. McChrystal who was the subject of a damning story in Rolling Stone. The use of annoynimous sources raise the question - if The Washington Post, or other news agencies, publishes an article are we to take it to be gospel?
The same question goes for blogs and people posting to social networks. Why not post a link to where a person gets their information? Are we to take their bare post and consider it to be the truth, solely because they are online and can type?
Daily I will see someone making a statement on Facebook Twitter or the other social media to advance their position, but then there is no link to a report, study or text. This is irritating to me, I want to know if this person is legitimate or static wasting bandwidth. Having a background in journalism and law enforcement, it is my second nature to want to see the facts and know that it comes from a reliable source and not just the opinion of a angry at the world person in Kansas. It does not cost a person anything to post a link to prove their point.
News outlets and blogs publishing to the web should always be including the links for the basis of knowledge. I would give the exception to whistle blowers and victims of sex crimes, but I want know the writer is creditable. When I read an article with good solid links I begin to see that publisher as a professional and trusted source.
A report outside provenance carries as much truth as flier discarded in a grocery store parking.
