A correction in a newspaper usually consists of posting a public notice about a typographical error or factual mistake in a previously published article. Newspapers usually have specific policies for readers to report factual errors. Generally, this involves the reader contacting an editor, pointing out the mistake and providing the correct information. Sometimes, an editor or affected reporter will be asked to refer to a note or press release to determine how the mistake was made. In print newspapers, a correction notice will often appear in its own column in a subsequent issue. In online news media, a "trashline" or "advisory line" may be added to the top of a corrected article. According to the Reuters Handbook of Journalism, "the trashline should say exactly why a story is being withdrawn, corrected, refiled or repeated. All trashlines on refiles and corrections must include the word 'corrects' or 'correcting'." A correctiondiffers from a clarification, which clears up a statement that – while factually correct – may result in a misunderstanding or an unfair assumption. Corrections can be the result of reporting errors or typographical mistakes, or may happen because the newspaper was provided incorrect information.
Examples
Most newspaper errors are relatively minor, sometimes mere typos or atomic typos, and involve one of the following:
Names – Their name was misspelled, someone was misidentified, their professional title was incorrect... the list goes on.
Figures – Usually, the result of a typographical error, although it can adversely affect a story.
Time/date/place – Usually, as for an event.
However, some corrections are the result of major mistakes or carelessness in reporting, and in extreme examples involve such things as completely incorrect facts, gross misquotes and extreme misrepresentations. Following are some examples: From The Guardian, 2004: From the New YorkDaily News, 2009: From The New York Times, 2010: In 2003, The New York Times published an article containing factual errors and misquotes contained in articles written by Jayson Blair, the reporter who became the central figure in the newspaper's plagiarism scandal earlier in the year. The corrections affected 10 articles that had been published from 2000 to 2003, with the errors reported to the newspaper after the scandal broke. One 2007 study suggested "that fewer than 2 percent of factually flawed articles" in daily newspapers are actually followed by a correction.
