World

Top 2007 media screw ups

by Rob Peters | January 4, 2008 at 11:28 am

1127 views | 15 Recommendations | 4 comments

One of my journalism instructors tried to convince all his students that the profession is in a "state of crisis" because the public doesn't trust the media. This article is a lengthy list of solid reasons why that might be.

Highlights include the 2007 correction of the year:

One of the surest ways to produce a great correction is to write a scandalous article filled with salacious, untrue allegations. This year’s winner is a correction to an April article in the Independent Saturday (UK) magazine:

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.”

And the correction of the year runner up:

The Sentinel-Review (Woodstock, Ontario):

In an article in Monday’s newspaper, there may have been a misperception about why a Woodstock man is going to Afghanistan on a voluntary mission. Kevin DeClark is going to Afghanistan to gain life experience to become a police officer when he returns, not to shoot guns and blow things up.

The Sentinel-Review apologizes for any embarrassment this may have caused.