Be cautious of comments

Editoral: Rumors don’t do anyone any good.
Like wildfires, rumors can spread to an uncontrollable level with the slightest of pushes. In today’s world of social media dependency, one post can reach across the country in a matter of seconds. It takes a lot less time to spread a rumor than it does to spread the facts of a situation and make sure people are accurately informed. By the time the real story comes out, enough posts and rants based on those rumors have surfaced to make the truth almost seem fictional.
Like a game of telephone, even a factual item can get distorted as it passes through the social media channels.
This is especially harmful when the rumors are about a public safety issue. Everyone wants the information immediately.
Therefore, it’s easy for hearsay and “I heard’s” to trump official statements and information provided by law enforcement officers and first responders.
We all want information right away but in an emergency – and potentially life and death – situation, first responders and law enforcement official’s priorities are on making sure the scene is safe and all involved are out of harm’s way.
It can be fun to speculate why the sirens are blaring or why a police officer is here or there, but it can also be dangerous to post thoughts, opinions and what was heard on the street as fact. Chances are, if the comments have more than one solid explanation as to what’s going on, official information has not been provided.
Again, following things like this are part of the fun of social media but always, always take what you read on the internet with a grain of salt and wait for the final word. Getting all the information is important. But getting and circulating the correct information is vital.