Instant Verdict

The first article that I found quite interesting was in The Globe and Mail, titled Is Woody Allen a sex offender? Over the weekend Twitter ablaze over Allen, and almost all of it was treating him like he was already found guilty. I found this article to be well written, insightful, and quite brave considering the often black and white nature of matters like these. Rather than take a side, or relay the news like the other newspapers did, Margaret Wente stated facts, brought up current misinformation, and questioned whether we should believe something solely on an allegation. Furthermore, the article brought up the idea that false allegations can be as evil as said allegation.

The article and the case itself bring up the current pitfalls of social media. Instant publishing and communication anywhere mean that we often end up forming options before all the facts are released. The Boston Marathon bombing comes to mind, where the internet quickly harassed a man online that they thought was the suspect, due to false publishing.

These are dangerous waters. Accusations are a dangerous weapon alone, but with the viral nature that they can spread now, we have to be even more diligent about waiting for all the facts. Reputations and lives depend on it.

Article
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/is-woody-allen-a-sex-offender/article16670511/