It may surprise some people, but journalists are people too. And being human, journalists are liable to make mistakes. Should the public scrutinize a media outlet's journalistic integrity based off their errors? Well, to a certain extent, yes.
Craig Silverman, of Regret the Error, feels that it is how journalists handle their discrepancy that is important. Do they "regret the error" so to speak? Or do they simply let it pass? The sad reality is that, according to Scott Maier, only 2% of factual errors are corrected.
What proves to be most problematic is how many newspapers skim over their error. It is quite pathetic when only 2% of errors are revised. Some newspapers highlight their errors and make them available online while others hide them somewhere in the back of the A section. Unless there is a persistent follow-up in news gathering and reporting, a typical audience will be misinformed.
With the rise in the relevance and importance of online news, audiences are treated to even more errors. With our publish then select doctrine dictating how to structure our online news, it is no wonder that our cyber world is filled with mistakes.
But what is truly wonderful about the ethos of the Internet is how stories don't end once they're published. As Craig Silverman mentions, "...we are responsible for correcting and updating them". Actually, there is an accepted blogger's code used to admit/highlight their errors.
Stephan Harper
Readers can also easily leave some feedback to challenge a story that they have read. If I don't make myself accountable, my readers will. Unlike in traditional venues where a reader might just call a news agency, online participants post their responses for all to see. This democratic forum truly allows a story to expand as new developments occur and actually contextualizes the information and the argument.
Error pointed out by Evan G.
I think it is important to understand that I'm not trying to excuse journalists when they make mistakes. I get annoyed with typos and when stories cite wrong names. But humans are fallible so mistakes happen. I feel that we should cast away with the shame that mistakes inherently have and bring back accountability. After all, it is how a person deals with their error that relays their regret.
Regret The Error is a step in the right direction to combat this veil of secrecy when it comes to reporting errors. Craig Silverman's work is forcing newspapers to be held accountable for their errors and showcasing them to the general public. But it is still not enough; traditional news outlets need to look to the democratic vision of the Internet and allow a more participatory response to their errors. Until then, audiences will continue to see the small (and forced) apologies like from the Fox News video that I embedded above and we'll be stuck at the paltry 2% correction rate.
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