Don't try this while texting

Several us sitting around a breakfast table for a Unity convention event got a chuckle this morning when one of the editors on hand talked about how her paper had enlisted readers to participate in a new real-time traffic feature for their website. The idea is to have readers text message the paper when they see an accident or a traffic jam. That prompted yours truly to say "I hope their car is stopped when their filing."

A few hours later waiting for my plane back to Kansas City, I opened the Wall Street Journal and to my surprise was a front page story about how people have gotten hurt while texting, bumping into lamp posts, falling off of curbs and in one case, walking into a bride while texting. 

Doctors are reporting that people are showing up in emergency rooms with injuries from accidents sustained while they were texting and obviously not watching where they were going. One driver/texter even killed someone.

So, if you're in a position to ask readers to help you with coverage, tell them to stand still or sit still while messaging. Or they may be the subject of your next story.