iReport, But Who Decides if It's Accurate?

A bogus report about the health of Apple CEO Steve Jobs has reporters pointing fingers, investors fuming, and the SEC investigating, Greg Sandoval writes on CNET. The rumor, published by an armchair reporter on CNN's citizen journalism site, iReport.com, caused a brief 10% drop in Apple’s share price and could tank the reputations of professional and amateur journalists.

CNN defended its site, saying the company makes no guarantees about the accuracy of items posted on iReport. One blogger denied claims that citizen journalists caused the blunder. But Sandoval concludes that the lesson for paid and citizen reporters is "to slow down just long enough to make one more phone call, talk to one more source.”
(More Steve Jobs stories.)