It is the custom of this column to mark the end of
each year with a compilation of the best, or worst, or most convoluted, or
contrived, or outrageous, or downright silly media corrections.
We used to focus exclusively on newspapers but since
the printed word is becoming as rare as the Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat (which, to the uninitiated, is extremely
rare), we have broadened our approach. We now welcome TV and the Internet to
this walk of shame.
Steve Harvey and Brian
Williams, come on down.
Why commemorate
mistakes? After all, journalism is a profession that prides itself on
accuracy. But sometimes in the production of countless words spread
across countless pages, mistakes are made. And some are funny.
So once a year we pause long
enough to laugh at ourselves. A little humor is good medicine when you
spend your days covering a world that has gone mad.
Since this year is the 10th
year we have complied this list, it seems entirely fitting that we look back on
the very best of the miscues that made news.
Without further ado, we
present the Mea Culpa Awards.
“Norma Adams-Wade's June 15
column incorrectly called Mary Ann Thompson Frenk a socialist. She is a
socialite." --- The Dallas Morning News.
"Following the portrait
of Tony and Cherie Blair published on 21 April in the Independent Saturday
magazine, Ms. Blair's representatives have told us that she was friendly with
but never had a relationship with Carole Caplin of the type suggested in the
article. They want to make it clear, which we are happy to do, that Ms. Blair
has never shared a shower with Ms. Caplin, was not introduced to spirit guides
or primal wrestling by Ms. Caplin (or anyone else), and did not have her diary
masterminded by Ms. Caplin. “ ---The Independent Saturday (UK) magazine.
“In articles published on 23
and 26 May 2008, we gave the impression that Mr. (David) Gest had contracted a
sexually transmitted infection and alleged that he had Liza Minnelli's dog
killed without her knowledge. This was wrong. David Gest has never had a
sexually transmitted infection and did not have Ms. Minnelli's dog killed.” --- Daily Mail, UK.
“We said that, in the
American TV drama ‘24,’ Jack Bauer, the counter-terrorism agent, resorted to
electrocution to extract information. You cannot extract information from
someone who has been electrocuted because they are dead.” --- The Guardian, UK.
“An Oct. 1 editorial
referred to Washington state Rep. Cathy McMorris, R-Colville as a ‘classy
candidate.’ This page regrets the error.” --- Lewiston Morning Tribune.
“In a recipe for salsa
published recently, one of the ingredients was misstated, due to an error. The
correct ingredients is 2 tsp. of cilantro instead of 2 tsp. of cement.” ---
Publication unknown.
“Due to incorrect
information received from the clerk of courts office, Diane K. Merchant, 38,
was incorrectly listed as being fined for prostitution in Wednesday's paper.
The charge should have been failure to stop at a railroad crossing.” ---Publication unknown.
“Last week’s column
mistakenly misidentified a source. The European Commission president is Romano
Prodi, not Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”--- The Prague Post.
“Reporter Amanda Hess, in a
story published Monday, acknowledges she wrongly wrote that ‘one in three black
men who have sex with me is HIV positive.’ In fact, the statistic applies to
black men ‘who have sex with men.’” --- Washington Citypaper.
“The following corrects
errors in the July 17 geographical agent and broker listing: Aberdeen is in Scotland,
not Saudi Arabia; Antwerp is in Belgium, not Barbados;
Belfast is in Northern Ireland, not Nigeria; Cardiff is in Wales, not Vietnam; Helsinki is in Finland, not Fiji; Moscow is in Russia, not Qatar.” ---- Business Insurance magazine.
Belfast is in Northern Ireland, not Nigeria; Cardiff is in Wales, not Vietnam; Helsinki is in Finland, not Fiji; Moscow is in Russia, not Qatar.” ---- Business Insurance magazine.
“There was an error printed
in the story titled ‘Pigs Float Down the
Dawson’…The story, by reporter Daniel Burdon, said ‘more than 30,000
pigs were floating down the Dawson River.’ What…piggery owner Sid
Everingham actually said was ‘30 sows and pigs,’ not ‘30,000 pigs.’”
--- The Morning Bulletin, Australia.
Dawson’…The story, by reporter Daniel Burdon, said ‘more than 30,000
pigs were floating down the Dawson River.’ What…piggery owner Sid
Everingham actually said was ‘30 sows and pigs,’ not ‘30,000 pigs.’”
--- The Morning Bulletin, Australia.
“Our panel listing the
expected highlights at Glastonbury this summer
catapulted into the festival’s headliners a band not so much obscure
as unknown, even to those expert in Judaic contributions to rock. The
group Frightened Rabbi should have been the Scottish band Frightened
Rabbit.” --- The Guardian.
catapulted into the festival’s headliners a band not so much obscure
as unknown, even to those expert in Judaic contributions to rock. The
group Frightened Rabbi should have been the Scottish band Frightened
Rabbit.” --- The Guardian.
“In the September profile of
Chelsea Clinton, ‘Waiting in the Wings’
by Jonathan Van Meter, Dan Baer was mistakenly identified as an
interior designer. He is deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of
Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the U.S. Department of State.”
--- Vogue magazine.
by Jonathan Van Meter, Dan Baer was mistakenly identified as an
interior designer. He is deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of
Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the U.S. Department of State.”
--- Vogue magazine.
“A column by Glenn Garvin on
Dec. 20 stated that the National Science
Foundation ‘funded a study on Jell-O wrestling at the South Pole.’
That is incorrect. The event took place during off-duty hours without
NSF permission and did not involve taxpayer funds.” --- Miami Herald.
“Correction: An earlier version of this article misidentified the
number of years E.B. White wrote for The New Yorker. It was five
decades, not centuries.” ---The New York Times.
Foundation ‘funded a study on Jell-O wrestling at the South Pole.’
That is incorrect. The event took place during off-duty hours without
NSF permission and did not involve taxpayer funds.” --- Miami Herald.
“Correction: An earlier version of this article misidentified the
number of years E.B. White wrote for The New Yorker. It was five
decades, not centuries.” ---The New York Times.
"Just to keep the
record straight, it was the famous Whistler's
Mother, not Hitler's, that was exhibited at the recent meeting of the
Pleasantville Methodists. There is nothing to be gained in trying to
explain how the error occurred." ---Titusville (Pa.) Herald.
Mother, not Hitler's, that was exhibited at the recent meeting of the
Pleasantville Methodists. There is nothing to be gained in trying to
explain how the error occurred." ---Titusville (Pa.) Herald.
“A Bloody Mary recipe…called for 12
ounces of vodka and 36 ounces of tomato juice. The recipe as printed
incorrectly reversed the amounts, calling for 36 ounces of vodka and 12 ounces
of tomato juice.” --- Wall Street Journal.
“This post originally quoted photographer Tom
Sanders as saying it takes him five years to get on the dance floor. It takes
him five beers.” Slate magazine.
“Articles on April 25 and 26
about Pope Benedict XVI said that St. Peter was the founder of the Roman
Catholic Church. According to the church, Jesus was the founder.” ---
Washington Post.
“Karol Wojtyla was referred
to in Saturday’s Credo column as “the first non-Catholic pope for 450 years”.
This should, of course, have read “non-Italian pope.” ---London Times.
“The Argus would like to apologize for suggesting that the director of the Brighton Science Festival believes the ‘21st century will be remembered for a terrible war between mankind and goats.’ That contention, as well as another goat-obsessed comment, actually came in the form of a question submitted by a reader.” --- Argus, Brighton, England.
“An article on Monday about
a recall election facing Colorado lawmakers who supported gun-control
legislation referred incorrectly to one of the Republican challengers expected
to face John Morse, the State Senate president, on the ballot. The candidate, Bernie
Herpin, is a former city councilman, not an author of erotic novels.” ---
New York Times.
“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.”
--- Ottawa Citizen and Southam News.
Robert Rector is
a veteran of 50 years in print journalism. He has worked at the San Francisco
Examiner, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Valley News, Los Angeles Times and
Pasadena Star-News. His columns can be found at Robert-Rector@Blogspot.Com. Follow him on Twitter at @robertrector 1.
