Maybe it's the internet and maybe it's human nature and maybe it's both, but people seem to respond (react) to things very, very quickly, especially online. They don't wait for more information or clarification; they hear and respond. It sometimes seems to be the negative things, but I see it with things that look positive as well.
The problems, from what I can tell:
1. The first news is not always all the news, and the news is by nature designed to get your attention. The other stuff, less shocking or more balanced, comes later. A different perspective comes later. The other person's side of the story which may change a lot comes later. A wider angle lens comes later. Background information comes later. But often later is too late and damage has been done.
2. There is a reluctance to change or update the response when new information comes. Either people don't want to admit that they jumped the gun or that they made a mistake, or they have moved on, or they don't care that they have done damage to someone (or some combination thereof).
3. The corrected information never reaches the full audience that the partial or incorrect information has reached.
4. Whether or not there are actual errors in the information, a quick reaction is often based on emotion, not careful consideration or introspection. This makes it very difficult to have any sort of discussion because you're dealing with emotion, not facts.
5. People who respond quickly tend to judge those who wait for more information or to think things through before responding. They view these people as not caring about people or issues, whereas some people prefer to take their time to make sure they have all the facts.
6. Once someone has thought about the issue and is ready to discuss it, the quick-responders view it as old news and don't really care to hear about it. After all, why keep harping on the past?
I'm a quiet processor; I don't often talk to think things through (although sometimes I write it all out, but just for myself). I also don't trust the first news report of things until I have time to investigate and/or talk with the people involved. As a result, I rarely discuss current events as they tend to be less current when I think I have all the information (or I just don't want to try interacting with people who have made up their minds and don't want to be inconvenienced with opposing ideas).
This is not just about news reports or the like; it can be about anything that comes up in life. I like to have some time to process before I talk about things and that means that I have often not been able to talk about my thoughts or feelings because I wasn't ready when everyone else was. I am thankful for people in my life who understand this and who are willing to accept "I need time to process this" and walk with me through the issues when I'm ready, or who just understand that I will need time and will talk when I'm ready, and who are ready to listen when I am ready to talk.
My point, really is this: It's okay to take time to respond to anything. It's even good to take time to think before talking (or writing). Stop, think, pray, then talk. It will likely save a lot of trouble.