Errors and Corrections

Here's a link to a recent column in The News & Observer (based out of North Carolina) entitled "Errors and their flip side: corrections."

"Errors and their flip side: corrections"

The column starts off with an anecdote about how the paper named the wrong fitness center in a front-page story about a burglary, confusing readers and potentially causing loss of business for the center mentioned. This illustrates how a small mistake can have unforeseen consequences.

The article also mentions "Regret the Error," a new, 366-page book about newspaper errors written by Craig Silverman.

The following example of a correction from the book is this excerpt from the New York Times:

"'An article in some copies on Wednesday about congressional efforts to pass legislation to expand the government's electronic wiretapping powers misspelled -- yet again -- the surname of the attorney general of the United States, in three of four references. He is Alberto R. Gonzales, not Gonzalez. (The Times has misspelled Mr. Gonzales's name in at least 14 articles dating to 2001 when he became White House counsel. This year alone Mr. Gonzales's name has been misspelled in February and March, and in two articles in April.)'"

I commend the Time's comprehensive correction and offering of full disclosure. I think being honest with readers, even if it brings to light a series of embarrassing mistakes, might help to regain some of the credibility lost in making the mistake in the first place.