Clarifying Celebration of Gospel confusion and journalistic responsibility
buzzz worthy. . .
On May 1 it was reported that Celebration of Gospel was cancelled. Conflicting reports about the existence or the future non-existence of the program have been passed around online and some fans are demanding an explanation as to the true status of the highly-rated show.
I share a significant number of mutual Facebook friends with several of the sources that reported on this matter, so I'm exercising due diligence to clarify what you may have gathered from my posts as well as express some general concerns about online news.
I'd like to set the record straight about MY report regarding the matter to ensure my credibility as a journalist of over a decade remains in tact. Essentially I reported the show was not cancelled, but possibly in jeopardy. My statements were based strictly on the fact checking I conducted prior to broadcasting the news of the alleged cancellation.
Fact: I spoke directly to a BET Executive who informed me that the show was not cancelled, but it was not included among the list of special programs as details were still in the works.
In addition, I inquired of two secondary sources. One of my sources attended BET's annual Upfront gathering where the announcement of the special program's end was supposedly made. According to said source, "It wasn't mentioned at the Upfront but Debra Lee said COG has outstanding numbers last month when it aired....Debra only talk[ed] about the new bobby jones, Sunday best &Kirks [sic] new show Gone Gospel."
My reply:
"Thanks. It appears the show has been cancelled because it was not listed as returning show on the official press release. BUT there are others shows that were not listed as well, so I am awaiting an official explanation from the network."
I also inquired of another source via phone who informed me that he'd spoken to Dr. Bobby Jones, host of the network's flagship Sunday morning gospel hour, who said the show was not cancelled.
It appears the initial report of the cancellation of Celebration of Gospel was both presumptive and premature. Perhaps it was a misunderstanding as a result of the show being omitted from a list of upcoming programs on the network, in which case clarification is necessary. But because the author who broke the story is otherwise known as a credible source, other sites took it and ran with it.
As of yesterday May 20, the person who authored the original report wrote that the network responded to the public's outcry and has decided to renew Celebration of Gospel, but at a different time.
How can you resurrect something that was never confirmed as dead? Did you notice in all of the fall out BET never issued a formal statement/reply? Or that its gospel blogger was mum throughout the unwarranted upset? Not a single statement from the network appeared on any of its social media platforms. The show garnered it's best ratings in its 14-year run and they wanted to cancel it instead of leveraging it before advertisers. That makes no sense to me. These are the kinds of factors that caused me to contact the network directly.
As a journalist, I have had a long-standing professional relationship with BET and have yet to receive any formal notice that the Celebration of Gospel has been cancelled. I posted the Upfront announcement of the new programming as it was delivered on my blog rather than joining the fray of gospel sites that spread unverified news. Normally, if a popular program is cancelled there is an official statement released.
Throughout my career I have stood by the principle of accuracy in reporting. There are times when stories are fresh and the details are sketchy as the story develops. Mistakes are made. I am not exempt from making errors. However, if and when I make an error (which is super rare), I make the correction swiftly. It is every journalist's obligation, including those who work primarily online to report facts.
Unfortunately, many people who cut their teeth as online writers/bloggers do not adhere to the standards of journalism. They simply move with the current of drama and gossip. They copy or re-write other's words and pass it off as their own "story." This has happened to me numerous times over the years. Everyone who says they are a reporter is not. Many bloggers have no media training and are simply following their passion.
New media reporting is an extreme sport. Competitors worry more about who gets"the scoop" out first than truth and accuracy. That's why so many people view online reports with skepticism. "Fast and false" has been the culture of online news. In this case, a few reports actually claimed BET announced the cancellation of the show in their headline. They did not even attribute the source, giving the impression that the network had actually issued a statement.
Reporting with accuracy is in the best interest of both the reporter and audience. When there is a question about a matter, say so. Recant or update the original story if there are new developments or the story changes. Issue a a correction. Pretending there was not a mistake could cause a reporter to lose the public's trust and their job.
I've said all of this to conclude: REAL GOOD REPORTERS/JOURNALISTS don't spin stories or attempt to generate their own buzz. That is the job of PR people. Online writers already have a bad rep. Sloppy work tarnishes the craft. Research before you write. Post facts. Hearsay does not qualify as proper attribution.
I have contacted BET to urge them to send a statement explaining the status of the show. If I receive any information that is different than what I've already shared with you, I will make sure you are informed.
Thank you all for your continued support through reading my reports.
I work for you,
Mona Austin
MMJ
On May 1 it was reported that Celebration of Gospel was cancelled. Conflicting reports about the existence or the future non-existence of the program have been passed around online and some fans are demanding an explanation as to the true status of the highly-rated show.
The Slice Radio Report: What really happened to Celebration of Gospel
I'd like to set the record straight about MY report regarding the matter to ensure my credibility as a journalist of over a decade remains in tact. Essentially I reported the show was not cancelled, but possibly in jeopardy. My statements were based strictly on the fact checking I conducted prior to broadcasting the news of the alleged cancellation.
Fact: I spoke directly to a BET Executive who informed me that the show was not cancelled, but it was not included among the list of special programs as details were still in the works.
In addition, I inquired of two secondary sources. One of my sources attended BET's annual Upfront gathering where the announcement of the special program's end was supposedly made. According to said source, "It wasn't mentioned at the Upfront but Debra Lee said COG has outstanding numbers last month when it aired....Debra only talk[ed] about the new bobby jones, Sunday best &Kirks [sic] new show Gone Gospel."
My reply:
"Thanks. It appears the show has been cancelled because it was not listed as returning show on the official press release. BUT there are others shows that were not listed as well, so I am awaiting an official explanation from the network."
I also inquired of another source via phone who informed me that he'd spoken to Dr. Bobby Jones, host of the network's flagship Sunday morning gospel hour, who said the show was not cancelled.
It appears the initial report of the cancellation of Celebration of Gospel was both presumptive and premature. Perhaps it was a misunderstanding as a result of the show being omitted from a list of upcoming programs on the network, in which case clarification is necessary. But because the author who broke the story is otherwise known as a credible source, other sites took it and ran with it.
As of yesterday May 20, the person who authored the original report wrote that the network responded to the public's outcry and has decided to renew Celebration of Gospel, but at a different time.
How can you resurrect something that was never confirmed as dead? Did you notice in all of the fall out BET never issued a formal statement/reply? Or that its gospel blogger was mum throughout the unwarranted upset? Not a single statement from the network appeared on any of its social media platforms. The show garnered it's best ratings in its 14-year run and they wanted to cancel it instead of leveraging it before advertisers. That makes no sense to me. These are the kinds of factors that caused me to contact the network directly.
As a journalist, I have had a long-standing professional relationship with BET and have yet to receive any formal notice that the Celebration of Gospel has been cancelled. I posted the Upfront announcement of the new programming as it was delivered on my blog rather than joining the fray of gospel sites that spread unverified news. Normally, if a popular program is cancelled there is an official statement released.
Throughout my career I have stood by the principle of accuracy in reporting. There are times when stories are fresh and the details are sketchy as the story develops. Mistakes are made. I am not exempt from making errors. However, if and when I make an error (which is super rare), I make the correction swiftly. It is every journalist's obligation, including those who work primarily online to report facts.
Unfortunately, many people who cut their teeth as online writers/bloggers do not adhere to the standards of journalism. They simply move with the current of drama and gossip. They copy or re-write other's words and pass it off as their own "story." This has happened to me numerous times over the years. Everyone who says they are a reporter is not. Many bloggers have no media training and are simply following their passion.
New media reporting is an extreme sport. Competitors worry more about who gets"the scoop" out first than truth and accuracy. That's why so many people view online reports with skepticism. "Fast and false" has been the culture of online news. In this case, a few reports actually claimed BET announced the cancellation of the show in their headline. They did not even attribute the source, giving the impression that the network had actually issued a statement.
Reporting with accuracy is in the best interest of both the reporter and audience. When there is a question about a matter, say so. Recant or update the original story if there are new developments or the story changes. Issue a a correction. Pretending there was not a mistake could cause a reporter to lose the public's trust and their job.
I've said all of this to conclude: REAL GOOD REPORTERS/JOURNALISTS don't spin stories or attempt to generate their own buzz. That is the job of PR people. Online writers already have a bad rep. Sloppy work tarnishes the craft. Research before you write. Post facts. Hearsay does not qualify as proper attribution.
I have contacted BET to urge them to send a statement explaining the status of the show. If I receive any information that is different than what I've already shared with you, I will make sure you are informed.
Thank you all for your continued support through reading my reports.
I work for you,
Mona Austin
MMJ
