I Cogitate

Crunks ’06: The Year in Media Errors and Corrections

Written and Compiled by Craig Silverman
Regret The Error - Mistakes Happen
December 13, 2006

...this was indeed the Year of the Belated Apology. We trace its popularity back to 2004’s Correction of the Year from the Lexington-Herald-Leader:

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

...In May, the Tallahassee Democrat ran a special section about the 1956 Tallahassee bus boycott. Included in the package was an article headlined, “Fifty years in coming: Our apology.” It read, in part:

    "…Leaders in that journey toward equality should have been able to expect support in ending segregation from the local daily newspaper, the Tallahassee Democrat. They could not. We not only did not lend a hand, we openly opposed integration, siding firmly with the segregationists.
    It is inconceivable that a newspaper, an institution that exists freely only because of the Bill of Rights, could be so wrong on civil rights. But we were.
    While the Democrat today is a far different organization from what it was 50 years ago, we have never formally apologized for our actions. Nothing will change history, certainly not a few words. But words are a powerful tool and can have a lasting and healing impact..."

...From the Chicago Tribune:

    An editorial in Friday’s paper incorrectly stated that Florida Cresswell, a candidate for state representative in the 28th District, was convicted in 1999 of battery and stealing Tupperware. In fact he was convicted of stealing a battery from a van as well as Tupperware that was inside the van...

...Typo of the Year
The reigning champ in this category is Reuters for its report of the recall of “beef panties.”

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