By MATIAS WODNER

The tragic news of actor Paul Walker’s death in a violent car accident did not arise without some controversy, shockingly. TMZ first reported that Walker was killed in the car accident, but because of their reputation of reporting false stories in the past, some began to refute the story. Other news outlets disputed the story, saying that Walker was not confirmed as one of the victims.

Local Miami reporter for NBC 6, Courtney Fallon, linked to the TMZ story on her Twitter account. Some followers of hers, probably shocked and saddened by the story, immediately attacked her for doing so, citing the other sources that could not confirm Walker’s identity. These unruly people bashed her wholeheartedly, and it was rather unfortunate to see.

An hour later, the story was confirmed by her news outlet and the situation had subsided. Other news media members took to her defense, calling her situation ridiculous and calling for those who attacked her to apologize.

This circumstance might be a learning tool for myself and for other news reporters. Not only because you should be careful about what you put out on social media, but you should be careful about how you handle the public that is following you. You need to handle Twitter and other social media followers in a professional manner and can’t let your emotions get the best of you. I applaud Courtney Fallon for handling the situation in a professional manner and I hope I will have the same mental fortitude.