Regret the Error

Regret the Error reports on media corrections, retractions, apologies, clarifications and trends regarding accuracy and honesty in the press. It was launched in October 2004 by Craig Silverman, a journalist and author based in Montreal.

And now for a little something in the first person…

I serve as the site’s editor, and you can learn more about me and read some of my other work by visiting craigsilverman.ca. In December 2011, I announced Regret the Error was moving to the Poynter Institute, and that I joined the organization as a member of its adjunct faculty. As of December 19, all new Regret the Error posts are available here, and the URL is being redirected in early 2012.

In addition to my role with Poynter, I continue to work with OpenFile, an online news startup that delivers community-driven reporting in six Canadian cities. I helped launch OpenFile in 2010. I advise another Canadian news startup, Spundge. It’s in private beta and is building tools to enable journalists to discover and manage real-time news and information. I help with product development as the company’s journalist in residence. I also write a weekly column for the Toronto Star.

With Regret the Error, I aim to provide a non-partisan resource to serve both the press and the public; my overall goal is to help make news reporting more accurate and transparent. The site has been lucky enough to win some awards, which you can read about here.

To learn more about the mission and background of the site, I recommend you read this interview with me. I’m also the author of Regret the Error: How Media Mistakes Pollute the Press and Imperil Free Speech (Union Square Press/Penguin Canada), a book inspired by my work on this website. You can learn more about the book here. Perhaps you’d also like to purchase it. After all, it won the Arthur Rowse Award for Press Criticism from the National Press Club.

If you’ve found a noteworthy correction or error, or would just like to get in touch, please feel free to contact me. I’d love to hear from you. I’m also available to offer advice about attaining accuracy, to comment on the issue for a media report, and to speak about the issue to groups, newsrooms and organizations.