Fluid Corrections

We all make mistakes from time to time. If one happens in one of your press releases, remember that errors are quite common and can be easily fixed. It is, however, important to correct the mistake as soon as possible and remove the original story from the internet.

When sending a correction, send your entire release again, instead of just a summary of your previous release. In a busy newsroom the person looking at the correction may not be the same one who saw the original release – make sure they get all the necessary information.

Always start your headline with CORRECTION: or CORRECTED:. This immediately alerts the reader that they may have already read your release, but lets them know that it isn’t a duplicate transmission.

The text in the body of your release should be as close to your original document as possible. Instead of describing the error in a new press release, simply replace the erroneous text with the corrected information. Draw the reader’s attention to the updated material by either bolding or italicizing the changes. Remember that if a recipient read your original document he or she will NOT want to reread the entire release trying to spot changes on their own. It's your job to point them in the right direction.

Here's an example of a corrected news release from the New York State Thruway:

Original Release

Corrected Release

Comments

[Jennifer Wilson]

I think it’s best to send the corrected original press release accompanied by a one- or two-line correction. That way the busy editor on deadline can decide on whether to substitute the copy in its entirety or fix the specific mistake because the story has already been laid out.

Unfortunately, the ReadMedia format makes it difficult to submit corrections this way. I wonder if you could look into that.

[Dave Casali]

Thanks for the feedback, Jennifer. Including a short summary of the original error as a note to the editor is always welcome. It allows the author to clearly define the original error and offer reinforced information.

Always bold, highlight or italicize every change in your corrected document though. The same mistake can happen multiple times in a press release. You'll want to point out every instance in case it affects an already prepared news story.

Your comment got the wheels turning here, and we're brainstorming a few enhancements. We're always looking for ways to improve your experience with readMedia. If our readers have any comments or suggestions we'd love to hear them!

Thanks,

Dave