Imagine you are a friend or relative of Shannon Faulkner, or simply a cautious and thoughtful citizen. This news formula creates the impression that people everywhere have made up their minds. In this climate, many news consumers feel stampeded into choosing one of the available interpretations. Not surprisingly, that choice is usually based on one's pre-existing opinions and beliefs. As a commercial model for the selling and consumption of news, the rush to judgement news formula works well.
People are naturally curious to know what their peers think about a major news event.
As a model for learning, however, the instant news formula is a disaster. Learning and knowledge are supposed to expand existing boundaries of understanding rather than harden pre-existing beliefs. Of course, the practice of journalism does not end with the first rush of headlines and sound bites. But these follow-up reports rarely have the impact of the original story. That's because first impressions have a lot of staying power.