Get Your Facts Straight!

I've heard it reported throughout the day that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett were separating. The story struck me as odd, so I started doing a little investigation. And all I had to do was a little.

What did I find?

I found that In Touch Weekly had an 'inside' source who talked about the separation. However, I didn't find an official announcement from a publicist, which is routine in these situations.

What's disturbing is that so many people initially reported this nonsense. My degree is in journalism, but my, how things have changed since I graduated (you should know better than to ask me when that was)! It's scary to think how quickly these media outlets will abandon little things like corroboration and fact-checking in their race to be the first to report the news ... even if it isn't news.

Here is the statement that Will and Jada issued to E! News.

"Although we are reluctant to respond to these types of press reports, the rumors circulating about our relationship are completely false. We are still together, and our marriage is intact."

In fact, as soon as the story broke family members and friends began tweeting that the story wasn't true.

The Moral of The Story: Wait for the facts before you believe the first thing you hear ... or visit me because I don't deal in rumors and I will dig until I find the truth!