How
Media Mistakes Pollute the Press and Imperil Free Speech
(
Journalists make mistakes. This is no
revelation, but Craig Silverman -- founder and editor of media website
RegretTheError.com -- is concerned with an unhealthy culture in today's
newsrooms of covering up errors instead of a more transparent approach to preventing
and displaying corrections. Silverman calls upon editors to embrace the error
as something that is inevitable while at the same time increasing quality
control.
His proposed fixes include soliciting the help of an increasingly engaged
public that has grown distrustful of the media because of this pervasive
sweep-it-under-the-rug mentality. Mixing humorous
corrections taken from large and small newspapers alike, Silverman gives
historical context to the current problems (he laments the demise of newspaper
proofreaders) and then proposes solutions for busy newsrooms (such as random
post publication fact checking).
Tome is academic but never dry, as Silverman smartly breaks up what could be
monotonous journo-speak with more than 300 amusing media corrections.
Read the full article at:
http://www.variety.com/story.asp?l=story&r=VE1117937412&c=3145