Via American Press Institute | Need to Know

Why corrections are key to gaining trust (and how to do them better) (RTDNA)

A 2018 report by Gallup and the Knight Foundation found that the two highest-rated factors that engender trust in the news media are “a commitment to accuracy (89%) and quickly and openly correcting mistakes (86%).” But it can be difficult for journalists to identify and respond to legitimate requests for corrections amidst the firehose of vitriol and harassment that is often directed at them online. A few tools are cropping up to help newsrooms with this problem, including VettNews Cx, which uses a small, embedded form at the bottom of each article to collect correction requests and make it easy for reporters and editors to respond to them. Carolyn Fox, senior deputy editor of engagement, sports and culture at the Tampa Bay Times, says that VettNews has helped them separate valid corrections requests from abuse. “It’s a pretty easy way to remove politics since you can just deal with corrections. We’re showing yes we may not always be set up to get everything right, but we have ways for you to get back to us.”