This is the final Regret post for 2008. Regular posting will resume on January 5, 2009. I’m usually so busy tracking corrections and errors that I don’t get a chance to write about the best ways to prevent and correct mistakes. With 2008 coming to a close, it’s a perfect time to list some of [...]
Please note the important 4th writethru to SCOC-Cromwell which corrects the name of the former Supreme Court judge to Michel Bastarache, which had been changed to Bastard by a spellcheck error. Thanks, Carolyn! Report an error
A story yesterday about members of Temple Beth El in Patchogue hosting Hispanic residents mischaracterized statements by Jeremy Pomerantz, a senior at Sayville High School. He participated in the event because he said he believes in community outreach. He said he does not feel ostracized as one of the few Jewish students at his school. [...]
A New York Times Editors’ Note (Via Romenesko): Earlier this morning, we posted a letter that carried the name of Bertrand Delanoë, the mayor of Paris, sharply criticizing Caroline Kennedy. This letter was a fake. It should not have been published. Doing so violated both our standards and our procedures in publishing signed letters from [...]
In a Dec. 14 list of the Top 10 quotes of 2008 as compiled by the Yale Book of Quotations, The Associated Press, relying on information from the book’s editor, incorrectly attributed the origin of two quotes. Professor Jeffrey Frankel of Harvard, in a 2007 article in Cato Journal, was the first to write, “They [...]
In a Dec. 18 story on Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to France, The Associated Press erroneously quoted the former Israeli prime minister as saying that Iran has “apparently known ambitions” about using force. He actually said Iran has “apparently no inhibitions” about using force. Another great Israel/Iran misquote here. Report an error
We accidentally referred to a “stellar sea lion” (29 November, p 6). The featured mammal is a Steller’s sea lion. Link Report an error
Charitable gifts: A Health section article Monday about gifts of health-themed charitable donations said that the transaction fee going to an online distributor of such donations, CharityGiftCertificates.org, can be as high as 15%. In fact, only 7% plus a 50-cent flat fee goes to CharityGiftCertificates.org; 3% goes to the credit card company and up to [...]
Take cover: “Heavenly Heston” (Observer Food Monthly, last week), said: “Heston Blumenthal is known as the mad kitchen scientist who cooks with nitroglycerin and puts snails in his porridge” and went on to speculate that his Christmas might include “a turkey jelly, perhaps frosted with nitroglycerin”. Glycerine and liquid nitrogen feature in Mr Blumenthal’s spectacular [...]
ON October 18 under the headline “Pushed to death after row on a bus” concerning the conviction of Gary Robson for manslaughter, we published a picture captioned “Guilty, Gary Robson 23, who killed Stanley Dixon, pictured on CCTV footage taken on the final journey.” However, the man in the picture we published was not Gary [...]
ON JULY 31, 2005, we published an article concerning the entertainer Mark Leen, stating that the marriage between Mr Leen and his wife, Linda, lasted for only two months. We accept that this was untrue and they remain together. We apologise to them for the embarrassment caused. Report an error
A correction from the Cincinnati Enquirer: Report an error
On Friday, Columbia Journalism Review online published my latest weekly column. Read it here. I also wrote a Saturday op-ed for the Toronto Star about the year in errors and corrections. Below are excerpts from both pieces. CJR column: The Year in Errata About a month ago, I began the laborious and depressing task of [...]
Message: On 21 November we published an article headed “Nominet chairman embroiled in governance row: sits on own salary committee”. Contrary to that article, we wish to make it clear that Mr Gilbert, the chairman of Nominet, does not sit on a committee which determines his remuneration. We apologise to Mr Gilbert for any embarrassment [...]
We apologise to Roy Keane for the inaccurate suggestion in Keane ‘unstable’, says Sunderland owner (6 December, page 3, Sport), that Roy Keane has an unstable personality, that he was unable to cope as manager of Sunderland AFC and that they were happy to see him go. We wrongly referred to Per-Magnus Andersson as the [...]
Santa Cruz City Councilman Ryan Coonerty was misidentified in a story about the tree-sit at UC Santa Cruz that appeared on Page A1 of Sunday’s edition and again on Page A1 Monday in a story about Shakespeare Santa Cruz. Coonerty is the immediate past mayor; the new mayor is Cynthia Mathews. Link Thanks, Tony! Report [...]
Because of an editor’s error, a photograph of Neil Diamond was incorrectly used in a review of Neil Young at the DCU Center in Worcester in Monday’s Telegram & Gazette. Link Thanks, Jason! Report an error
In her column, “These bigots imperil our nation’s future†(29 September 2008) Yasmin Alibhai-Brown referred to Sir Andrew Green of Migrationwatch in discussing the British Council’s report on British and Italian young people’s views on national identity and Europe. She alleged that Sir Andrew is “gleeful†that the results showed that one in four Britons [...]
The name of home furnishings retailer Bed Bath & Beyond was misspelled as Bed Beth & Beyond in a Marketplace article Friday on retail liquidations. Link Thanks, Jack! Report an error
We mistakenly appointed Bill Gates to the post of US defence secretary in an article with the headline: Obama’s education secretary is Chicago schools chief, 17 December, page 21. Robert Gates is currently secretary of defence in the US. Bill Gates is the founder and chairman of Microsoft and a philanthropist. Link Report an error
In this year’s round-up of the Year in Media Errors and Corrections, I unveiled the Ian Mayes Award for Writing Wrongs. It is given to the “publication or person that demonstrates wit and wisdom in the writing of corrections.” The winner is David Hummerston, the, deep breath, Saturday editor, editorial counsellor and readers editor of [...]
The policewoman accused in a Newcastle upon Tyne court of being a pounds 100-an-hour prostitute is alleged to have had up to 20 clients a week, not 20 a day (Page 20, December 9). Link Report an error
Editor’s Note: This site doesn’t accept advertising (note: see UPDATE below). I’d be grateful if you’d consider purchasing a copy of the Regret the Error book, which won an award from the National Press Club this year. You can learn more about the book and read some reviews here. UPDATE March 2009: I’ve added some [...]
As noted in this year’s edition of the Crunks, 2008 saw an example of institutional plagiarism (the Bulletin), as well as an incident of institutional fabrication (Mainichi Daily News). Both are mentioned below, along with the rest of this year’s notable examples of plagiarism and fabrication. On the more positive side of things, this year [...]
A PHOTO IN Sunday’s Daily News incorrectly identified a member of the Newburgh Free Academy swim team as Michael Mele, a person of interest in the disappearance of Laura Garza. The young man circled in the picture is not Mele. Report an error
