It’s a bit difficult to talk about the current state of entertainment journalism when you actually write and edit for a website devoted to entertainment journalism without coming off a bit like a self-righteous dick. That being said, it’s important for readers to have information to better help them make decisions about which outlets are worth believing and which might not be as reputable. That distinction can easily be seen in recent days thanks to Kevin Smith and a rumor about “Spider-Man 3.”
A few days ago, during his “Fatman Beyond” podcast, Kevin Smith said that he saw a rumor that Charlie Cox, who played Daredevil on the Netflix/Marvel series of the same name, might make an appearance in the upcoming “Spider-Man 3” starring Tom Holland that is set to begin filming later this year. Because Kevin Smith has been known as someone with a bit of insider knowledge, sites took his quote and ran with it, saying that there was a rumor that Cox would show up in “Spider-Man 3.” And since this is how entertainment journalism works in 2020, once one website runs an unsubstantiated rumor, many others follow suit, using the first site as the “source.”
However, when Smith saw his name attached to this rumor, the filmmaker/podcaster took to Twitter to explain the situation and expose the ridiculousness of how blogs, particularly fandom blogs (superhero sites, “Star Wars” sites, etc…), can take things out of context and report them as if they’re somehow fact.
Smith tweeted, “Perspective: While I, too, hope this rumor is true, please remember that I only talked about it with @marcbernardin on #FatManBeyond after I read about it on the internet, just like everyone else. This means I have no inside info. Much like everybody else, I’m just a hopeful fan.”
READ MORE: Sony Hires ‘Amazing Spider-Man 2’ Writer Roberto Orci For A New Spidey Spin-Off
So, in this scenario, Kevin Smith saw an unsubstantiated rumor that was posted on the internet, talked about it on his podcast as a rumor he heard, and then websites took that information and used it as some sort of confirmation that Charlie Cox could show up in “Spider-Man 3.” Do you see the problem with that situation?
And while The Playlist isn’t perfect (we’ve reported on “rumors” in the past, but try to do so only from sources that we feel have insight and a solid track record for such things), it’s important that readers are indeed careful about spreading information that they read on a website just because when you see it in print, it looks official. For those other websites that run rumors such as this, we should all really try to make sure that we are cognizant of what we report. This is the type of “journalism” that leads to ludicrous rumors that never pan out and frustrate readers. But I digress.
TL;DR—Don’t believe what you read just because someone types it up and publishes it on a website. If you blindly believe everything that is published, you may end up thinking that Danny DeVito is Marvel Studios’ first choice for Wolverine when they reboot ‘X-Men,’ which will be directed by the Safdie Brothers. (That’s a rumor I can get behind!)
