Regret the Error » austin american-statesman

Rest is fine

Craig Silverman — Thu, 26 May 2011 12:00:01 +0000

A story about politics and the Lower Colorado River Authority on Page D1 Sunday contained several errors. It misstated how long Tom Mason has been general manager at the LCRA; he has held that job for 31/2 years. It gave an incorrect first name for Donna Nelson, currently on the Public Utility Commission, who was once a possible candidate for an LCRA post. The story implied that board member J. Scott Arbuckle said at a Senate hearing that some board members wanted to move Ken Armbrister, an aide to Gov. Rick Perry, into the job of LCRA general manager; Arbuckle did speak at that hearing about efforts to remove Mason as general manager, but he did not mention Armbrister as a desired replacement. The story said state Rep. Tom Craddick, then speaker of the House, had appeared at an LCRA meeting to discuss groundwater matters; a Craddick spokeswoman said he was there to discuss broader legislative issues. And it was incorrect in identifying board member Kathleen Hartnett White as a member of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association’s political action committee; she belongs to the association but not its PAC. Link

Death by media

Craig Silverman — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 13:00:46 +0000

The obituary for Jammie Duggan that ran in Friday, November 19th's edition of the Austin American-Statesman ran in error. Jammie Duggan is alive and well. We apologize for this error. Link

Tried in the press

Craig Silverman — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:00:33 +0000

A headline on Page B3 Wednesday on a story about a police officer who left a child in the custody of a man accused of sexual assault incorrectly said the ex-officer is in jail awaiting trial. Kyle police officer Karl Cranek was fired, but he is not accused of a crime, nor was he jailed. The headline should have said that Dustin McFall is in jail awaiting trial on two charges of sexual assault of a child. Link

Paper ends marriage

Craig Silverman — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:00:56 +0000

A story on Page B1 Saturday about a court appeal by Hyde Park Baptist Church incorrectly reported the marital status of the plaintiffs. The story identified Terry Curtis as the ex-husband of Tara Turner. Curtis and Turner are married. Link

Kids today…

Craig Silverman — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 12:00:58 +0000

In a story about coffee bars in high schools that appeared on Page One on Feb. 19, a Lake Travis High School student who claimed to drink as many as five coffee-flavored shakes a day falsely identified herself as Erica Bonin . School officials said they could not confirm the identity of the student who did speak with the reporter. Attempts by the Statesman to reach the student or her parents by phone have been unsuccessful. Link

Our fools win football games

Craig Silverman — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:00:48 +0000

A story on Page G4 of Saturday’s Sports Extra section misquoted Rice University football coach David Bailiff when he was talking about the similarities between coaching at Rice and at Texas State University-San Marcos. He did not use the word “fools” in reference to his players; he said “fulls.” The quote should have read: “The difference is there are 85 fulls (scholarships) here and there are only 63 at Texas State.” Link

Happy birthd… our condolences

Craig Silverman — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:00:25 +0000

The list of birthdays on Page A2 Sunday should not have included Robert Solomon. The University of Texas philosophy professor died in 2007. Link

Know thyself

Craig Silverman — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 12:00:11 +0000

A story on Thursday’s Page One about the possible sale of the American-Statesman misstated the parent company of Valpak. It is Cox Enterprises. The story incorrectly reported the name of the company that sold the Statesman to Cox in 1976. It was Newspapers Inc. Also, while the sale of the Statesman and other properties will be used by Cox Enterprises to pay down debt, Statesman Publisher Mike Laosa did not say it was unacceptably high debt. Link

Cop, not suspect

Craig Silverman — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:00:57 +0000

A story on Thursday’s Page B1 transposed the name of an Austin police officer with that of a man facing sexual assault charges. The story should have made clear that former motel manager Douglas Wayne Ward is the suspect in the case, and that police say they found photos of children on a computer seized from Ward. Link

Clear as mud

Craig Silverman — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:00:34 +0000

A story on Page A8 Saturday quoted from an anonymous e-mailed news release that was issued in September to draw attention to the newly established AustinPoliticalReport, an anonymous blog. The story should have made clear that Austin political consultant Kelly Fero, who created the blog, says he did not produce the news release. The release appeared to come from AustinPoliticalReport, but its origins cannot be verified. Fero was dismissed last week from the campaign of Rosemary Lehmberg, a candidate for Travis County district attorney, who said Fero had not told her about blogs that later were quoted in her campaign materials

Press release printed “nearly verbatim” in paper

Craig Silverman — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:00:19 +0000

An Editor’s Note:

In the Statesman’s Schools column on Wednesday’s Page B2 , the first three paragraphs of an item about school breakfasts were taken nearly verbatim from a news release by the Center for Public Policy Priorities. It is not the American-Statesman’s practice to print items from outside sources verbatim and without proper credit. We regret the error.

Though the note consciously avoids using the word, this does fall into the plagiarism category.

Carrot cake without the carrots

Craig Silverman — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:00:02 +0000

On page E7 of Wednesday’s Food & Life section, a recipe for Hummingbird Carrot Cake reprinted from the cookbook “A Passion for Baking” left out an ingredient. There should be 3/4 cup grated carrots, to be stirred in along with the pecans and banana.

Thanks, Daniel!

Death by media

Craig Silverman — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:00:37 +0000

A Sunday Page One story about Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle’s career incorrectly referred to Mace Thurman as “the late” district judge. He is still living.

Attention journalists everywhere: James Dobson is not a minister

Craig Silverman — Fri, 19 May 2006 15:01:00 +0000

Our obsessive cataloging of corrections occasionally enables us to spot a pattern. Whether it’s the failure of newspapers to identify someone they initially misidentified in a photo, or the inability of newspapers to accurately report on, well, newspapers, we sometimes feel as though we’re listening to a broken record. Such was the case when we spotted this correction in the Washington Post:

A May 14 article about Sen. John McCain’s speech at Liberty University incorrectly referred to the chairman of Focus on the Family as the Rev. James Dobson. Dobson is not an ordained minister.

We knew we’d read that one before. (The GetReligion blog also felt a sense of deja vu.) So we fired up Nexis, did a search for “James Dobson and correction,” and were less than shocked to turn up more than 20 similar corrections going back to 1989. What publication ran that 1989 correction, you ask? The Washington Post. GetReligion also spotted two recent Newsweek corrections that we have included below. So here they are in all their glory: The James Dobson Is Not A Reverend/Minister/Evangelist Corrections*. Bow your heads and pray we never see another one.

Roll Call
May 11, 2006
In the May 10 edition of “Heard on the Hill,” James Dobson of Focus on the Family was misidentified as a reverend. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in the field of child development.

The San Diego Union-Tribune
April 27, 2006
A headline April 20 with a story about the 70th birthday of Dr. James Dobson misidentified him as an evangelist. A child psychologist and best-selling author, he is the founder and chairman of Focus on Family, a nonprofit Christian ministry that helps families.

Newsweek
Feb. 20, 2006
In the Feb. 13 article â€œGodâ€™s Green Soldiers,â€ we incorrectly identified James Dobson as a reverend. He in fact has a Ph.D. in child psychology and goes by Dr. Dobson. Newsweek regrets the [error].

Wall Street Journal
November 5, 2005
Correction of Oct 28 page-one article; James Dobson is psychologist and chairman of Focus on the Family

Sun-Sentinel
August 17, 2005
A July 12 column by Michael Mayo on Page 1B of the Local section, about the Broward schools SpongeBob video controversy, contained two errors. Activist James Dobson is not a reverend, and Dobson did not assert that the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants is gay.

Newsweek
Aug. 8, 2005
In our Aug. 1 issue, a sidebar on lobbying groups (â€œA
Userâ€™s Guide to the Groupsâ€) incorrect[ly] identifies James Dobson as a
reverend. He in fact has a Ph.D. in child psychology and goes by Dr.
Dobson. Newsweek regrets the error.

Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
August 6, 2005
Headline clarified: In a headline in Thursday’s editions, James Dobson, chairman of Focus on the Family, a nonprofit organization that focuses on Christian values in the home, was called a minister. Although he runs a ministry, his degrees are in psychology as well as marriage and family counseling.

The Cincinnati Enquirer
June 10, 2005
Dr. James C. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, is a psychologist, author and radio broadcaster. A June 3 story on the 2nd Congressional District race misidentified him.

The Kansas City Star
March 9, 2005
An item in The Buzz on Sunday incorrectly referred to James Dobson, chairman of Focus on the Family, as “the Rev. James Dobson.”

St. Petersburg Times
January 29, 2005
Focus on the Family founder James Dobson is a psychologist and a marriage, family and child counselor. A column Friday stated an incorrect profession.

The San Francisco Chronicle
October 3, 2004
Articles on March 14 and Sept. 19 erroneously used the title “the Rev.” for James Dobson, the founder of the Focus on the Family. Dobson is not ordained.

Slate Magazine
January 23, 2004
In a Jan. 19 Chatterbox column, Timothy Noah erroneously referred to the Rev. James Dobson. Dobson is actually a lay Ph.D. (in child development), not an ordained minister.

Chicago Tribune
September 4, 2003
In a story Friday on Page 8 of the main news section, James Dobson, head of the Colorado-based family advocacy group Focus on the Family was misidentified with the title “Rev.” and called an evangelist. He is neither an ordained minister nor an evangelist.

Austin American-Statesman
February 21, 2003
Page B1 of Sunday’s Metro & State section, a story about religious groups debating the issue of homosexuality misidentified James Dobson, founder and president of Focus on the Family. He is not a minister.

The Montgomery Advertiser
November 9, 2002
Setting it straight: A story in the Oct. 13 edition of the Montgomery Advertiser used an incorrect professional title in reference to James Dobson, founder of the Focus on the Family ministry. Dobson is not a reverend. He holds a doctorate in child development.

Wall Street Journal
May 11, 2001
Correction of May 9 Politics & Policy article, James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, oversees a radio ministry, but he is not an ordained minister.

The Nation
October 30, 2000
In Alexander Cockburn’s October 2 “Beat the Devil,” Focus on the Family’s president, James Dobson, was erroneously referred to as a “Reverend.”

Kansas City Star
November 23, 1996
Because of a reporter’s error, religious broadcaster James Dobson was identified as a minister in an Oct. 27 profile of Sam Brownback, successful candidate for U.S. Senate. Dobson is a licensed psychologist. The profile also implied that the organization Dobson heads, Focus on the Family, supported Brownback’s candidacy. Dobson made a personal endorsement of Brownback; Focus on the Family does not endorse candidates.

Chicago Tribune
October 31, 1995
An editorial Thursday incorrectly referred to the head of Focus on the Family as Rev. James Dobson. He is not a minister.

Orange County Register
March 2, 1993
James Dobson is a Christian counselor. Because of a reporting error, Dobson was misidentified in a story in the Metro section of Monday’s editions of The Orange County Register.

The Houston Chronicle
January 19, 1993
A story Sunday incorrectly described James Dobson, the head of a Colorado Springs, Colo., evangelical ministry, as a member of the clergy. He is a psychologist.

The Washington Post
June 13, 1989
In a report yesterday about the Moral Majority, James Dobson was identified incorrectly as a minister. He has a PhD in clinical psychology.

*Correction Nov. 22, 2011: It was recently brought to our attention that this post originally and incorrectly referred to “The James Dobson Is Not A Reverend/Minister/Evangelical Corrections.” Dobson is in fact an evangelical. But he is not an evangelist, which was the word we should have used. The sentence has been corrected. Thanks, Deann!