Patrick Ruffini writes in his blog:
The Washington Post has embraced the idea of corrections-in-context. When it screws up, it not only edits or deletes the offending passages from its online version, but it posts a notice atop the article telling you what's changed (see example).
This might not seem like a big deal to the average person, but to anyone who has been quoted (or misquoted) this is a very big improvement.
Here’s why: As soon as a reporter is assigned to cover a new story, the first thing they do search LexisNexis to see what has previously been written on the subject.
So if “Reporter A” gets it wrong - “Reporter B” will read it, believe it, and perpetuate the myth. It’s a vicious circle. The result is that incorrect facts never die (nor do they fade away) - they keep getting re-printed. In essence, the “truth” becomes what has been reported.
Kudos to the Post for taking this step!
