The L.A. Times has a good review of the Chief Justice John Roberts Stepping Down flurry. And I can’t agree more with the subhead:

The lesson behind the Chief Justice Roberts rumor

An example from a law professor’s lecture becomes a case study on the perils of a wired world.

Bottom line is that some students in a law class in Georgetown immediately sent out notices that Roberts was stepping down when their law prof said it was happening. Thirty minutes later the prof said the statement was false and that is why good lawyers (and journalists) should always verify their information before going public with it.

“It is a good reminder of the value of old-fashioned reporting, whether that comes in print or online — just someone exercising a certain amount of news judgment,” said David Lat, managing editor of the legal blog Above the Law, which first identified Georgetown law professor Peter Tague as the unwitting source of the story.

The way the news flew around the country in just a few minutes makes it clear how events can get out of hand with poor reporting.