Regret the Error

A Reuters error noted by Reuters’ own Good, Bad & Ugly blog:  Report an error

A correction from China’s official Xinhua News Service: In the title, please read “Iceland volcano ash cloud disrupts domestic aviation”, instead of “Ireland volcano ash cloud disrupts domestic aviation”. Link  Report an error

In stories Feb. 19 and 20 about protests at the Wisconsin Capitol, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Dr. Lou Sanner said he wrote hundreds of doctor’s notes for protesters. Sanner said he wrote 18 notes, and that hundreds of people approached him and other doctors seeking notes. Link  Report an error

In a story April 29 featuring updates about the royal wedding, The Associated Press erroneously identified a woman dressed as a bride and holding a sign saying “Will, it’s not too late!” as Brenda Hunt-Stevenson. It was not her. Link  Report an error

Business Insider broke the news today that the Associated Press was hoodwinked by a hoax press release claiming that GE had agreed to give its $3.8 billion 2010 tax refund to the U.S. government. From the fake release: GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt has informed the Obama administration that the company will be gifting its entire [...]

In a Jan. 27 story about the Better Place electric car project, The Associated Press erroneously reported that Better Place has raised $700 billion. The correct figure is $700 million. Link And: In a Jan. 26 story about President Obama's tours of Wisconsin businesses, The Associated Press erroneously reported the size of a small business [...]

In a story Jan. 17 about winners of Golden Globe Awards in television, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the miniseries "Carlos" was about a drug kingpin. The TV movie was about a terrorist known as Carlos the Jackal. Link  Report an error

In a story Jan. 18 about changes at the Playboy television channel, The Associated Press reported erroneously about an upcoming show titled "Sex Dream Makeover." The show's title is "Sextreme Makeover." Link  Report an error

In a Jan. 15 story about a prosecution witness in the Perugia murder trial of U.S. college student Amanda Knox, The Associated Press, relying on information from a lawyer, erroneously reported that the witness, Antonio Curatolo, had been convicted on a drug charge. Curatolo has been ordered to stand trial on a drug charge, but [...]

In a Jan. 12 story about the settlement of copyright claims between The Associated Press and artist Shepard Fairey, the AP reported erroneously that apparel manufacturer One 3 Two had also reached a settlement. The AP's claim against the company is ongoing, according to AP spokesman Paul Colford and Robyn C. Crowther, an attorney for [...]

In a Jan. 6 story, The Associated Press reported CNN anchor Piers Morgan's claim that his interview with then-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown turned the tide of Gordon's election campaign in his favor. While Brown got a boost in the polls after the interview, the story should have noted that he subsequently lost the 2010 [...]

The shooting of Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others at a public event earlier today resulted in an onslaught of breaking news reporting. Major news organizations raced to gather reporting, and information began to spread quickly. As is often the case, this led to a lot of mistakes — including reports from NPR, Reuters, CNN, [...]

While you’re here, please consider purchasing a copy of the Regret the Error book, which won an award for media criticism from the National Press Club, and also contains hundreds of hilarious corrections. You can learn more about the book and read some reviews here. The paperback edition includes a new introduction. Error of the [...]

In an Oct. 27 story about jailed financier R. Allen Stanford's legal representation in his criminal case, The Associated Press reported that Stanford had written a letter in August accusing his attorney, Bob Bennett, of ethical misconduct. The story should have included that Stanford had also filed court documents after having written the August letter [...]

In stories Oct. 21-23 about the wedding of Russell Brand and Katy Perry, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the couple had given the exclusive coverage rights to a London magazine. Representatives for the couple said Sunday no such deal was in place. The representatives also said the couple were not wearing traditional Indian clothing [...]

In a story Oct. 15 about a mistake in Chicago's electronic voting machines, The Associated Press erroneously reported the way a gubernatorial candidate's name appears on a ballot review touch-screen. The screen lists the candidate as "R. Whitey," not "Rich Whitey" as the AP reported. The candidate is Rich Whitney of Illinois' Green Party. Chicago [...]

In the headline of an Oct. 14, story The Associated Press reported a woman was stabbed at a Bellevue College anger management class. College spokesman Bob Adams says the classroom was rented by a court services agency. >Link  Report an error

In a story Oct. 12 about a porn actor testing positive for HIV and previous stories, The Associated Press reported erroneously, based on comments from porn industry professionals, that under U.S. law, adult film actors are required to test negative for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases within 30 days of going to work on [...]

The Associated Press reported Sept. 14 that "America's Got Talent" contestant Michael Grimm performed Michael Bolton's "When a Man Loves a Woman." Although Bolton released four different albums containing the song between 1991 and 2005, "When a Man Loves a Woman" was originally written and recorded by Percy Sledge in 1966. Link Two of those [...]

In a Sept. 9 story about an abortion doctor, The Associated Press erroneously reported that the Guttmacher Institute said the abortion business can be lucrative. The Guttmacher Institute provided costs for abortions but did not say the business could be lucrative. Link  Report an error

A very troublesome typo is in the last sentence of this screen grab (click for larger): Thanks, @PostmediaNews!  Report an error

In a Sept. 8 obituary for John Kluge, The Associated Press misspelled names of two ex-wives and his widow. The correct names of the former wives are Yolanda Galardo, not Tolanda Zucco; and Patricia Maureen Rose, not Patricia Rose Gay. His widow's correct name is Maria Tussi Kutner, not Maria Tussi. Link Thanks, Jon!  Report [...]

In a story Aug. 22 about the rally in Treasury bonds, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Treasury bonds maturing in 20 years or more have returned 2.1 percent so far this year. They have returned 21 percent. Link  Report an error

In a story Aug. 2 about the Census of Marine Life, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the 15,374 species in the Gulf of Mexico amount to 10 per square kilometer. The correct figure is one per 100 square kilometers. Link  Report an error

In a story July 27 about Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., The Associated Press, relying on a preliminary transcript from StreetEvents.com, erroneously reported a quote by President and CEO Marc Casper. Casper’s correct quote: “We are especially pleased with our organic growth results given the head winds of a weak flu season and the Biosite contract [...]