The art of the correction

Let’s say a person’s one and only mention in the newspaper had their name spelled wrong, or worse, they were misquoted to the point of extreme embarrassment. Their opinion of the press is tainted forever.

There are typos, mathematical errors, mistaken identities, photo mix-ups and all kinds of factual flubs — any of which can creep into a newspaper story through carelessness, laziness, or even an over-reliance on computer spelling tools.

To help remedy this unpleasant occupational fact of life, there is the printed correction — usually appearing as two or three sentences that briefly describe the error and clearly set the record straight. Some are grave apologies for serious mistakes, such as printing the wrong photo of a local sex offender; some can be a simple restating of the facts, while others can be downright hilarious. Then there are the corrections of corrections, which can get really complicated.

Journalist Craig Silverman began noting these printed corrections a few years ago, and one thing led to another until he had collected thousands of them — from publications all over the world. In building his popular RegretTheError.com website, he realized that this hitherto under-examined phenomena can not only be an object of interest, but also speaks volumes about journalistic competence and integrity.

This was the subject of Silverman’s well-attended lunchtime presentation at the Atwater Library last Wednesday, during which he pointed out some of the best-known journalistic gaffes in history, most prominently the infamous 1948 photo of Harry S. Truman joyfully holding up a Chicago Daily Tribune that boldly proclaims “Dewey Defeats Truman.” This huge mistake, and countless other like it, combine to form a rich history of the printed error and the subsequent efforts to correct them.

Take, for example, this eye-catching item that appeared in the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader just a few years ago:

“It has come to the editor’s attention that the Herald-Leader neglected to cover the civil rights movement. We regret the omission.”

New book studies errors and corrections



A 30-year-old Nova Scotian who remained in Montreal after earning a degree in Journalism from Concordia University, Silverman is well-known for his regular column in the Globe & Mail, as well as a long-running column in Montreal’s Hour. He is currently promoting his new book, Regret the Error, which, much like its author’s recent lecture, offers readers a fascinating romp through the history of media mistakes and the various steps taken to correct them.

Silverman takes us back to some of the very first newspaper errors — some accidental, others brazenly deliberate. Readers are introduced to Benjamin Day, the young proprietor of the New York Sun, whose fabricated series of articles about newly discovered life on the moon caused a sensation in 1835. Complete with etchings depicting fabulous lunar creatures that captured the public’s imagination, the series apparently sold more papers than the presses could run off. Through the subsequent rise of yellow journalism, where factual information came a distant second to telling a good story, mistakes ran rampant through the pages of many daily newspapers — and very little effort was made to correct them. We are reminded that W.R. Hearst’s often-quoted directive to a correspondent in Cuba — “You furnish the pictures and I’ll furnish the war” — may sound shocking today, but was unremarkable back in 1897.

Most errors are corrected promptly and efficiently, much to the satisfaction of all concerned. However, sometimes a correction can lead to more confusion, as Silverman gleefully points out in this gem that appeared in the Ottawa Citizen back in 2001:

The Ottawa Citizen and Southam News wish to apologize for our apology to Mark Steyn, published Oct. 22. In correcting the incorrect statements about Mr. Steyn published Oct. 15, we incorrectly published the incorrect correction. We accept and regret that our original regrets were unacceptable and we apologize to Mr. Steyn for any distress caused by our previous apology.



Regret the Error certainly stands as a towering monument to the printed correction and all its variations. But Silverman digs well below the surface and comes up with a compelling, thoughtful study of the entire concept of media inaccuracies and their impact on journalistic credibility. In doing so, he poses the tough questions that few in the profession have dared to ask. Where, for example, do all these mistakes come from? Is there anything we can do to minimize the number of our mistakes?

While Regret the Error is sure to be a fascinating read for anyone who happens to enjoy reading newspapers, it should be compulsory for anyone working in the media. It is a valuable addition to our understanding of a key element of our society.

· ‘Regret the Error: How Media Mistakes Pollute the Press and Imperil Free Speech’ by Craig Silverman is published by Viking Canada and is available at all bookstores.