O-Town Reporter's Tweet Tips off Competitors?

A Wednesday morning tweet had journalists around town talking.

WFTV-Channel 9's Karla Ray wrote:

The Orlando Sentinel writes that we know that reporters like to tell us they were first: first with the story or first with the video or first at the accident scene.

But boasting via Twitter about your assignment: How wise is that?

Isn't that a tip to your competitors to join you at the assignment? Soon you won't be the only reporter sitting in at that federal trial.

But WFTV news director Matt Parcell dismissed the notion that WFTV might be putting itself at a competitive disadvantage with such tweets.

"No, we're a news organization, not just a TV station," he said. "Wherever the platform may be, that's where we're doing news."

One seasoned reporter scoffed that Parcell's reasoning made no sense. She wrote: "If I'm the only reporter at a trial or a crime scene, the last thing I'm going to do is let anyone else know I'm there. I'd rather maintain the exclusive."

Parcell weighed in on the fast-changing technology in news.

"We're in this new world of social and digital media and Facebook and Twitter and putting news out on these platforms," he said. "In 10 years, we're going to look back and say, 'This is what we should we have done.' We’re trying to figure it out. Keeping our viewers and readers informed during the day is important. They’re looking for us on all these platforms. We're trying to figure out how best to serve all these platforms."