STOP the Lies

Never believe everything you read.

The blogosphere gives everyone room to stretch the truth - or flat out lie - about well… anything. As a REALTOR, it is vital that you critically evaluate everything you read in the blogosphere before reproducing it in any way.

Imagine what would happen if you wrote about a news story you found in an unfamiliar blog. Imagine you were using that suspicious information to produce a story using one of our content ideas, and reporting about a community-related event. Take it one step further… imagine that you reported - on your page - a story alerting the community about a rabid dog running loose.

Now imagine that the story was FALSE. Talk about damage control.

You must examine absolutely everything related to the story prior to giving it validity on your site.

Ask yourself:

• Is this breaking story plausible?
• Is the information beneficial to my readers?
• How did this person get their hands on this information before anyone else?

And the most important question:

• Where can I verify the story?

For many of your readers, you are depended upon as a reliable source of information. If you don’t question what you read, you are compromising your own integrity. Do not post any news story you personally cannot validate.

Take the time to examine the author’s perspective, what he/she has to gain from the story, and what sources were used.

News sells. Unfortunately, so does fabricated information.

We have come to a point on the Internet where some people have become so driven to gain traffic and links, that no measure is too drastic. For some, writing lies to receive short-lived attention is now worth the risk.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not claiming that every false news story published is a deliberate scheme designed to trick readers; honest mistakes happen, and we know that. However, it is your responsibility to monitor scrutinize everything you read before you distribute the news to your readers.

It’s one thing for your audience to read a false story on a random site. It is an entirely different issue when they see it on your site… a site they feel like they know and trust.

REALTORs, listen up. Confirming the truth behind stories you read before you post on your site will save you the pain and agony of later retracting statements and coping with the embarrassment.

I am not suggesting that you verify the news stories you find on sites you have - over time - determined are credible. I am warning against believing what you read on a site you have never visited before. Also, be on the lookout for the numerous “harmless” rumors floating around the blogosphere; they can do more damage than you think.

Make your site a place the community can flock to for reliable information. Remember: you worked hard to establish your good name. Don’t let another blogger’s blunder ruin your rep.

If I have not said it enough, I’ll say it again: DO NOT believe everything you read.