Daily newspaper readers throughout northern California were greeted this morning by a story from the Associated Press speculating that the Bay Bridge would be open for the morning commute. The story, which quoted a California transportation department spokesman as saying the bridge could re-open, was last updated on the wire at 11:40 p.m.

It was welcome news for many in the area, as the bridge’s unexpected closure forced some commuters to wait in traffic for hours on their way to work. The online version of the story has been re-Tweeted several times this morning.

But the story wasn’t true, and the AP should’ve known it. That’s because, at 10:30 p.m., CalTrans faxed a press release to news organizations stating that the bridge would be closed for the morning commute.

Of course, even if the AP had updated the story, the original version still might have run in many newspapers. The deadline for many morning editions is around or before the time that CalTrans issued the press release.

Whatever the reason for the error, the story is continuing to spread on the Internet this morning and causing some confusion among commuters. It’s an example of how the effectiveness of the traditional press can be limited in a world of 24-hour instant communication.

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