Regret the Error

How not to write a correction

The Times of the UK offers a useless correction with puzzling grammar:

Nine of the 366 firefighters with the Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service are women and not as we reported (May 21).

A Guardian apology

Colonel Christopher Terrington - apology

In a report, published on September 16 2004, we said that Colonel Christopher Terrington worked closely with American commanders at Abu Ghraib, the Baghdad prison where Iraqi prisoners were abused and humiliated and that he was embedded within the US unit responsible for extracting information from Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib.

We stated that he had joined the intelligence chain of command at Abu Ghraib in November 2003 when many of the most serious abuses occurred. We also said that Colonel Terrington had been described as being second in command of intelligence at the prison and was told about abuses there. We reported that Lieutenant Colonel Steve Jordan, a US officer accused in the scandal, had worked for Colonel Terrington.

Regrettably the article was wrong. It was only after Lieutenant Colonel Steve Jordan had transferred to the multinational headquarters in Baghdad that he reported to Colonel Terrington. Colonel Terrington was not in Iraq for the vast majority of the period when the abuse uncovered

All celebrities sound alike

The "On Movies" column in Sunday's Arts & Entertainment section misidentified the actor who provides the voice of the lion in the new animated film Madagascar. It's Ben Stiller, not Ben Affleck.

Unheralded hype

Guess this puts a little less weight behind the two articles and series of seven book excerpts that the Herald has run on The Miami Bombshells:

Contrary to what was reported on Page 8 of Monday's Tropical Life, this past Sunday's New York Times did not publish a story on the The Miami Bombshells, authors of Dish & Tell.

Something about AP having to issue this correction just seems strange/sad

In a May 23 story about the "Desperate Housewives" finale, The Associated Press reported erroneously that the character Lynette, played by Felicity Huffman, had sabotaged her husband's promotion because she was jealous over a sexy co-worker. Instead, Lynette derailed the promotion because she was afraid it would take her husband away from home too much.

Helping US-China relations

THE CHINESE ENVOY who was recalled just before a fence-mending meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was Vice Premier Wu Yi. Yesterday's World-Wide column incorrectly referred to Ms. Wu as a man.

"Today" show, MSNBC.com use wrong photo

We found this recent correction on the MSNBC website, but didn't turn up one in the "Today" show transcripts (yet):

In a “Today” show video clip published Tuesday, May 11, on MSNBC.com about the trial of Sen. Hillary Clinton’s financial advisor David Rosen, the “Today” show inadvertently used a picture of another man named David Rosen. We would like to clarify that the David Rosen seen in the report is in no way involved in the case. NBC News regrets the error.

It would also be helpful to identify the David Rosen in the report, explain how his photo ended up being used, and, just maybe, offer him an apology in the correction.

No need for speed

In a May 10 "Medical Examiner," Joshua Foer incorrectly stated that the lap times of Stanford varsity swimmers who were given amphetamines improved by 4 percent. The source of that statistic is a Web page by Dr. Lawrence Diller of the University of California, San Francisco, that misinterprets the findings of a 1959 study. The study found that the speeds of Boston-area college swimmers improved only by a mean of 1.16 percent, a statistically insignificant figure. It also found that collegiate shot-putters were able to throw 4.6 percent farther on amphetamines.

Times freelancer really got inside the story

This Editor's Note ran in Saturday's New York Times:

An article on May 6 described a demonstration at Princeton University against the proposal by Bill Frist, the Senate majority leader and a Princeton graduate and board member, to bar filibusters on judicial nominees. The writer, a freelance contributor who is a Princeton student, did not disclose to The Times that before she was assigned the article, she had participated in the demonstration. The Times does not ordinarily allow its writers to cover events in which they have taken part, and the paper's staff and contributors are not permitted to join rallies or demonstrations on divisive issues. The writer says she was unaware of these policies.

To avoid future mistakes like this, The Times should send its freelancers a copy of the paper's editorial policies and have contributors sign off on them as part of their freelance contract. That will remove the "I didn't know better" defense.

How to help someone lose his health insurance

Ernie Perez, who was a speaker at the 22nd Annual International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Sunday, is not infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. An article on B1 Monday mischaracterized remarks made by Perez during the ceremony, giving the opposite impression.