Should you demand a correction when a journalist prints an error?

It is your worst nightmare as a PR – you open the newspaper or log on to a media website to find that the amazing article you pitched for has an error, or worse still, you don’t even know where the incorrect details have come from. For example, it could be that your business is wrongly accused of malpractice, it points to a competitor instead of you, or features an image of a member of staff you had to fire last week.

Journalists are only human, so mistakes can happen, but what do you do if the error is having a negative impact on your business? When can you ask for it to be corrected and what can you do if something goes wrong?

Here are some essential tips on how to deal with mistakes in pieces featuring you or your business.

1. Take a minute to analyse the error before doing anything

It may sound simple but the first thing to do is to take a breath and try to read the content with a level head. What is inaccurate? Where have they got the information from? Is it factually incorrect or do you just not like the way it is written? Before you pick up the phone, think about what you want to say and how you actually feel about the article. What would you like them to do about it?

2. Is it a journalistic mistake or did the error come from somewhere else?

It is important to recognise the source from where any error might have come from. If the information was supplied from a court proceeding, the journalist can only use that information - they cannot add to it or change it. This means you will need to speak to the court if there is an error to try and prevent it happening again.

If it has come from a public meeting or something that someone has said, again, this isn’t necessarily journalist error. Reporters can report on opinions that you do not share.

Have you perhaps got incorrect company details or erroneous information on your website or your client's website? Not every ‘error’ is on the journalist’s part. It could be an alternative view from another business or organisation, errors in official documents, or information online you didn’t even know existed about the company. If you are unclear where the information has come from, ask the journalist to explain. Once you know how the error has occurred and where it originated from, you are in a position to put it right. It might be that you need to change company information on an old website, do some reputation management to prevent negative opinions being circulated or simply explain the error to the journalist so that they can correct it.

3. Talk to the journalist calmly without making demands

Wherever the error occurs, the most likely way of improving the situation is to talk to the journalist who wrote the article and explain your concerns. Be aware that most articles go through several editing processes, so mistakes might have been introduced later on in the process and not originated from the journalist. Try to stay calm and be clear in your explanation. If it is a matter of opinion rather than fact, then the media publication does not have to do anything. However, if you explain your concerns and are reasonable, there is often a way of finding common ground.

If it is something that is factually incorrect, explain why and ask them to amend the article where possible. For print publications, that might be running an additional story with the new details or if a website, simply amending the online version.

Be aware though that you need to be clear in your briefing to make sure that any amendments are correctly highlighted, and any additional stories benefit the company rather than being detrimental and labouring on misinformation.

4. Prevention is always better than cure

Once something is said or printed, it can be very difficult to take it back. This often means the best way to prevent errors is to look at what you are sending out in the first place. Once your company is perceived in a particular way, changing that narrative can take time. Simple mistakes on images or wording can be costly as they can completely change the direction of a story.

Take time to think carefully before any message is sent out and to double check content. The easiest way to stop errors occurring is to be clear in your messaging from the start so that journalists have everything they need in the first place and they are less likely to go looking for more information.

5. Know when to insist on a correction

Often, people will accuse media outlets of carrying incorrect information because they don’t like the way something is written. Publications only need to address factual errors. They can share conflicting opinions or alternative points of view.

Once you have reviewed the content, if you honestly believe that the information is inaccurate, prepare your evidence to explain why and get advice as to whether correcting a story at this stage is the right thing for your brand. There are lots of reasons why brands might choose not to correct errors, such as allowing the continuation of a story or having considered the error wasn’t that prominent or serious in the first place. Would correcting it only highlight a negative opinion further, aka the Streisand Effect?

Consider all the facts before making a decision and think about what it is you want to achieve. Were you given a right to reply at the time of the article, or were you not able to comment on claims made? Is the coverage unfairly biased towards one point of view? Is the story based on outdated information or inaccurate sources? Would demanding a correction drive more negative publicity around your company rather than positively manage its reputation? Would leaving it uncorrected risk the error being repeated in future coverage?

6. What to do when a publication refuses to correct an error

Most mistakes are just that and are quickly corrected by publications. However, when you feel your concerns aren’t being heard, there are other steps you can take.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Code of Conduct is a set of ethical principles that guide the work of journalists in the UK and Ireland and states all content should be “honestly conveyed, accurate and fair”.

Where publications don’t meet these guidelines and you feel journalists have reported inaccurate information but aren’t listening to your concerns, you have every right to complain. Register your complaint with the editor and be factual and clear in how the article is incorrect.

The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) is the independent regulator for the newspaper and magazine industry in the UK. It provides guidelines for publications to follow called the Editors Code of Practice and you may be asked to state how the article has breached these guidelines, so do your research first. There are 16 clauses ranging from discrimination to intrusion into grief, harassment and accuracy. Look at how the article doesn’t meet the guidelines.

Where there is an error, the guidelines state that: “A significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or distortion must be corrected, promptly and with due prominence, and – where appropriate – an apology published.”

IPSO is your first port of call in escalating complaints, but in the case of broadcasting, you should direct complaints to the broadcast regulator Ofcom which can order broadcasters to publish apologies and corrections.

Reputation management

Bad press can be hugely damaging to a business or individual. Knowing what to do when things go wrong and how to correct errors is crucial in managing a positive reputation. Don’t be afraid to question and point out where coverage is damaging, inaccurate and unfair. Often mistakes are just that – honest errors and can quickly be fixed by calmly explaining the facts to the journalist involved.

When errors occur, there are steps you can take and regulatory bodies which can support you in making sure that reporting is accurate and fair. Just be aware it is always important to be clear on what you want to achieve and how best to manage a brand’s reputation before demanding changes though.

Correcting minor inaccuracies on a widely damning story might only perpetuate the bad press, whereas in some instances leaving errors unchecked could see an incorrect story spiral as it is continually repeated, slowly damaging a company’s reputation for no reason.

Think carefully about how you manage mistakes – and remember, the best solution is always prevention where possible.

Cheryl Morris is the founder of Creative Word PR.