It happened Nov. 27.

Take a wild guess to what I'm referring. (Hint: It involved a golfer, a car and some golf clubs.)

We might think we know what happened that night. But do we? The Internet has blurred the line between fact and fiction. And, amid the chaos, Tiger Woods was unavailable for comment. He's only communicated through vague posts on his Web site, www.tigerwoods.com. ESPN could only repost Woods' words, sparse police reports and snippets of a tabloid story about his alleged infidelity.

The situation was a journalist's nightmare. I felt sympathy for fellow reporters. Then, I felt their frustration.

On Nov. 30, a post attributed to guitarist Chad Taylor appeared on allthingschadtaylor.blogspot.com and was sent out to fans via FriendsofLive.com. The post included legal and financial accusations against lead singer Ed Kowalczyk and said Live was over.

Kowalczyk posted a single tweet from twitter.com/eddieklive that said Taylor's e-mail was untrue. I contacted Taylor, Live publicists, and management companies to no avail.

Like Woods, Taylor and Kowalczyk disappeared behind a self-erected wall, leaving fans confused and upset and this journalist with gossip instead of real answers.

In the realm of York native celebrities, Live is about as big as you get. Regardless of whether I could confirm, Taylor's post was news. But could I trust blogs and tweets?

Dr. Robert Carroll, who teaches public relations at York College, said many media

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experts are stumped by how news is being disseminated these days. Public figures are depending on the media to tell their stories less and less. Instead, they are sharing their thoughts directly with the public. The days of press conferences might be numbered.

That was the hot topic at the recent Public Relations Society of America 2009 conference, Carroll said.

"(Celebrities) are using social media and bypassing the media gatekeepers," he said.

Ed Debes, coordinator of the music industry program at York College, said that most entertainment loyalty is driven by that person or group's Web site.

Blogs are now the way record labels and artists deliver press releases and announcements. E-mail newsletters, text alerts and tweets only speed up the rate at which the latest information can reach an audience.

"Labels now just have departments specifically focused in the area of Web design and texters," Debes said.

Debes said that he helps train his music industry students in the latest social media, since those skills are in high demand. But those methods, Carroll said, have both advantages and disadvantages.

An upside is that people like to get the news directly from the source and can provide immediate feedback.

He said the comments on Tiger Woods stories offer a variety of opinions. Some people even demanded that he be held accountable and that he has an obligation to face the public and tell them the truth.

But a disadvantage is that celebrities aren't subjective. What they post is usually biased. That is what concerns Carroll about so-called citizen journalists. Anyone with a cell phone and the Internet can present themselves as a reporter.

"Will people try to manipulate what is being posted?" Carroll asked.

For these reasons, Carroll said the communications experts don't see the demise of traditional media. People still need a filter to sift out facts from fiction. Carroll sees the media morphing into new formats and being integrated with social tools.

Carroll said that people have been weary of the media long before he started working in newspapers in the '60s. The explosion of Internet gossip certainly makes journalists work harder, but Carroll said readers also have to be more vigilant.

"People have to be the judge," he said. "They have to ask, 'Where do I get my information? Do I trust this?' "

Carroll teaches his York College students how to use social-media tools appropriately, so they will be prepared as journalism evolves. "In 10 years, things may not look the same as they do right now," Carroll said.

And right now, things are confusing for me as a journalist. It feels strange to be reporting about blog posts.

But it was refreshing to read the comments on my Live story. I wasn't the only one frustrated with the band.

POPeye is a bi-weekly column focusing on the ever-changing landscape of popular culture. To reach writer Erin McCracken, call 771-2051 or send an e-mail to emccracken@ydr.com.

Talk about it

Share your thoughts about Live. Visit The Exchange at www.inyork.com/exchange. Click on the music discussion under The Living Room.