Michael Jackson was found not guilty on all counts this afternoon in what was probably one of the most anticipated verdicts in history. After seven days of deliberations, the jury in the famed trial found Michael not guilty on all ten felony counts. The reading of the verdict seemed to take quite a while, but some online news sites used the event to test new systems for getting the word out quickly:
While all the major news sites had posted word that a verdict was coming, there was a scramble to find the fastest way to deliver the news that a jury had found the “King of Pop” not guilty of all 10 charges in the closely watched child molestation case.
News sites used the event as a chance to experiment with methods of getting news out quickly. CNN.com, for example, put a scorecardlike page up ahead of the verdict, with a color-coded system in place to mark “guilty” or “not guilty,” as each juror’s specific decision was read.
To be honest, I don’t care about the trial much one way or the other. I hope that Michael stops inviting children to his house, and I hope that people leave him alone. However, considering I spend far more time online than watching TV (I really only watch sports on TV) I think it’s great that CNN, MSNBC and others are experimenting with ways to get the word out faster. Unfortunately my favorite site, Google News, didn’t fare as well:
However, in a sign that automated news sites may have some work to do to catch up with their human-powered counterparts, the Jackson verdict was not prominently featured on the Google News site several minutes after the decision was read.
I don’t see any reason that Google News can’t have a little human editing. In cases like the Michael Jackson trial, it would probably have been a good idea.
Read: CNET News.com
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