A story in Wednesday’s Local & State section incorrectly stated that James Lambert, who was fatally shot Tuesday by an off-duty firefighter, had been convicted of taking indecent liberties with a child. Because of an error interpreting court records, the Observer wrongly attributed that conviction to Lambert. Instead, another man by the same name and [...]
A front-page story in some editions Monday incorrectly referred to Osama bin Laden as Obama. In the same story, a photograph cutline wrongly said two aircraft hit the same tower of the World Trade Center. The planes hit different towers. Link Read my roundup of other recent Obama/Osama errors here. Report an error
Given the fact that journalists have been mixing up the names of President Obama and Osama Bin Laden for a good three years or more, it’s no surprise that the coverage of last night’s huge news included many of these slips. Here’s a sampler of Obama/Osama errors. This, from a local Fox affiliate, may be [...]
A caption with a photo of a wreath-laying ceremony at Fort Bragg in Saturday's Local & State section included an incorrect date for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Link Thanks, John! Report an error
A photo caption inside the front section of Wednesday’s Observer incorrectly identified a Star Wars character on Wall Street as a stormtrooper. The character in the photo, who was accompanying Darth Vader and Lucasfilm executives at the New York Stock Exchange, was a clone trooper. Link Thanks, Rich! Report an error
A story in Tuesday’s Local & State section about alleged moonshine sales at a day care center gave incorrect information about Gwendolyn Brown-Johnson, who was accused of selling moonshine. She has no prior N.C. criminal history or arrests. Link Report an error
Neil Armstrong piloted the lunar module to the moon’s surface on July 20, 1969. A story in Sunday’s A-section named the wrong person. A story in Tuesday’s Observer about Statesville native Tom Marshburn’s first spacewalk misquoted the words of Neil Armstrong when he stepped onto the moon in 1969. Armstrong said: "That’s one small step [...]
A story in Wednesday’s Observer about President Obama marking St. Patrick’s Day gave the wrong political party for Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California. She is a Democrat. Report an error
A headline in Tuesday’s Carolina Living section incorrectly described the Snuggie blanket as sleeveless. The blanket has sleeves. Link Report an error
A headline in Monday’s Observer incorrectly stated that two planes nearly collided Sunday at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport. The two jets were never in danger of colliding, according to a Federal Aviation Administration official. The incoming plane was a mile from the runway when an air traffic controller instructed the pilot to make a “go-around” because [...]
A photo of Toni Morrison accompanying the Winter Arts Preview in Sunday’s Carolina Living section was incorrectly identified as being of Terry McMillan, the author, who will be appearing at Lenoir-Rhyne University. McMillan can be seen at left. Link Report an error
A column of voter quotes in Wednesday’s Observer misspelled Barack Obama’s name. Link Report an error
We’re coming a bit late to this, but it requires a mention. The News & Observer and Charlotte Observer recently produced special reporting packages about race riots that erupted in 1898. And both papers ran editorials that apologized for their part in the awful events of that year. The Charlotte Observer’s apology is here. It [...]
