News: The need for speed

If the first three rules in journalism are "accuracy, accuracy, accuracy," the next three rules are "faster, faster, faster." Notice how quickly a big story breaks: In the span of 15 minutes, seven news organizations sent e-mail alerts about Senator Kennedy's brain tumor diagnosis.

The Internet age means that major news organizations are in a constant race to get the news first. Delay is deadly in the news industry, and anyone who goes into the business must be aware of the need to work quickly and move the story as soon as possible.