"properly trained journalists check and double-check their facts, set these in context, work in relevant background information" - these are the words by Leslie Fong, editor-at-large at The Straits Times in response to a question "are bloggers journalists?". He was disagreeing with the suggestion that bloggers can be journalists.
The following is taken from this entry on The Straits Times " Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon sent Ibrahim Gambari, a Nigerian UN undersecretary-general, on a mission to the region. He was in Myanmar's neighbour Thailand awaiting a visa. On the same page readers are given a link to the statement by George Yeo, Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs and Chairman of ASEAN, which states "a visa would be issued to Mr Gambari in Singapore".
Now which properly trained journalist from The Straits Time checked and double-checked the facts ? And who did he check with, the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok? Leslie, can you please sack that journalist ?
