Punctuation might not seem like something you need to counter check, till you have a huge responsibility by virtue of being at a platform that speaks to the whole world. This is what happened at Associated Press Twitter account in a bid to break news.
Someone missed a comma, and it meant all the difference.
The statement above meant to alert that the Dutch plane carrying Malaysia Airlines crash victims’ bodies from Ukraine had landed, but it ended up looking like it was indeed a second disaster of crash landing.
BREAKING: Dutch military plane carrying bodies from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crash lands in Eindhoven.
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 23, 2014
The person, or persons behind the twitter account on realizing their mistake, most probably as a correction from followers did apologize two tweets later, but the damage had already been done. The tweet is still there and getting retweeted.
CLARIFIES: Dutch military plane carrying Malaysia Airlines bodies lands in Eindhoven. — The Associated Press (@AP) July 23, 2014
This goes beyond just ensuring you are right in your tweet to ensuring the readers you are talking to get the right message. With great power comes great responsibility, they said.
