Corrections are for fact errors. Please note that for web, that generally includes misspelled proper nouns. Egregious omissions may also constitute a fact error.
Triple check correction language and run it past an editor. Corrections should concisely state the nature of the error and a clear, direct account of what’s been changed in a story or what the correct information is. Do not shift blame. Good verbs to use in corrections include misidentified, overstated, understated, misstated, omitted and failed to.
Corrections should go out on the same mediums on which the error went out — broadcast, web and social media.
Clarifications are for ambiguous and misleading statements. Follow the same guidelines for clarifications. Good verbs to use in clarifications are suggested, indicated and omitted.
Web
Make changes to the body of the story to make it accurate. Add a note at the end of the story in italics that lays out the correction.
Example:
Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified one of the candidates. Dan DeBartolo is running for school board, not David DeBartolo.
Comment on the Facebook post and quote tweet with the official institutional account noting the story’s been corrected. Depending on the context of the comments, it may make sense to restate the correction.
Broadcast
The rule of thumb for broadcast corrections is to air them during the same broadcast time slots in which the error was made. So if an erroneous report goes out on a 12:30 newscast on Tuesday, ideally the correction would be read during the 12:30 newscast on Wednesday.
Broadcast corrections need more context than a web correction. In addition to the language in a web correction, include the subject of the story the error was made in and in what broadcast.
Example:
In a story we aired Tuesday about candidates running for the Juneau School Board, we misidentified one of the candidates. Dan DeBartolo is running for school board, not David DeBartolo.