Nothing is more satisfying than pointing out the errors of others. That, at least, is part of the impetus behind Craig Silverman’s blog, Regret the Error, in which he notes entertaining–or egregious–corrections listed in major publications such as the New York Times. Over time, Silverman has collected some of those corrections into Regret the Error, an analysis of the journalistic techniques that lead to mistakes and the editorial practices that lead to correcting them.
The entries are enjoyable to breeze through. A “stellar sea lion” instead of “Stellar’s sea lion” in the New Scientist. A picture of Neil Diamond used in an article about Neil Young (damn, I always get those guys confused, too). The “Correction of the Year” award granted to Dave Barry for his hilarious apology after misspelling someone’s name in a column.
But it’s not all beer and skittles. Rather than offering crochety comments on the mistakes of those dang newspaper reporters, Silverman has a more noble mission statement here. (Most corrections, in fact, stand on their own, with no editorial commentary from Silverman.) Ultimately, Silverman wants reporters and editors to strive for more accuracy in journalism, and for news organizations to hold themselves accountable for their mistakes and the harm they may cause.
Silverman’s year-end wish list is particularly notable to get a sense of the goals he proposes for the media. Some things for us to keep in mind as writers and editors entering the professional realm.
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