Journalism limbo; Don't sell my education short

My education is in limbo, and it seems like the school I attend is setting the bar way too low.

I will be the first one to tell you that what is happening to the University of Colorado's journalism school is a travesty. The students that attend, have graduated and will graduated from the much less accomplished sounding 'Journalism Program' probably won't be given the same foothold in the industry as those at other institutions of higher education. But, although the process and utilities that CU has there are still very good and well-rounded "journalists" coming out of Boulder every semester.

Over the course of the last week we have seen two of the most disturbing events get blown out of proportion.

Rob Lowe reported via Twitter, "Hearing my fave, #18 Peyton Manning will not return to #NFL. Wow. #Colts." And the shock-wave rippled throughout the social media giant. Some people believed while more others found the information as an interesting note that could not be corroborated and thus was just another so-called-official report.

It started a storm that if you weren't paying close enough attention to you could have easily missed it. People, the average person was aware of what was being presented in front of them and they, in a matter of moments, were able to decipher the trustworthiness of the news and the source that it came from.

Then only days ago CBSSports.com reported, without a credible source in the real article mind you, that Joe Paterno had died. People could not handle the news, or were unable to take it in rationally. Twitter became overwhelmed with this article and fact, that later turned out to be wrong. They family spokesperson of the Paterno family said this information was "absolutely not true." And as the story turned on its head it only began to gain steam. You didn't know what to believe and who was saying what.

Social media is useful, it can be informative and it continues to push the bounds that traditional media outlets have been slow to move on. It is a transformative tool much the way the radio and television waves expanded the information platform. But that is where it stops. There is no credibility on a Twitter service; the little blue check is no overbearing cover for things that may or may not be true.

It can spread information like wildfire and burn the entire forest down, and for that we cannot ignore it. But we can tear down and trample over the same forest by looking and believing in information that is not true.

The world needs good, hard-working journalist. They have to be there double-checking and triple-checking with facts and sources. So don't sell my education short.