On Friday, we asked journalists about their big mistakes (and I wrote about one of my own.) That first story included several other stories that readers shared on Facebook this week. Here’s what we heard today through email and Twitter:
Jeff Bercovici, reporter, Forbes
A couple months into the launch of Radar Online in 2006, I got a tip from a friendly source who always had good media/advertising gossip that Apple was going to drop Justin Long from its Mac Guy/PC Guy ad campaign. I called up Long’s rep, who immediately started spinning me: Apple wasn’t “dropping” anybody because Justin’s contract was almost up anyway, etc. I took this for confirmation.
What I didn’t know was this was the first she was hearing of any of it; she was just spinning a reporter out of reflex, I guess. There was, as far as I can discern, no substance to the rumor, just a bum tip. Apple being Apple, it blew up like crazy. Instant national story. CNBC booked me for a segment. I was on air when the host told me that Apple — which virtually never comments on anything — was denying the report. He asked me to comment. Erp. My Radar friends still tease me about it all the time.
Bill Fonda, editor, Weymouth (Massachusetts) News and Braintree Forum
@BillFondaWL I wrote about the latest in the story, but probably in my first job, naming one bowling alley by the rival bowling alley's name
— Kristen Hare (@kristenhare) June 13, 2014
.@kristenhare Let's see, once referred to an accident at a parade as having killed someone (not by name) when it didn't.
— Bill Fonda (@BillFondaWL) June 13, 2014
.@kristenhare I deserved the angry phone call I got for that one, although the organizer accepted my apology.
— Bill Fonda (@BillFondaWL) June 13, 2014
Stephen T. Watson, business reporter, The Buffalo News
As clever intern, used lede, “If [company founder] were alive today…” Turns out, was retired and elderly but very much alive. I felt enormous shame. Even better/worse, he died a week later.
Dan Kennedy, journalist, author and associate professor
@kristenhare Worst mistake I ever made? That would be tough. It would be easier to give you a list of my top 25 worst mistakes.
— Dan Kennedy (@dankennedy_nu) June 13, 2014
@kristenhare I once mistakenly quoted a source on background when he wanted it off the record. He was outed. I felt sick for days.
— Dan Kennedy (@dankennedy_nu) June 13, 2014
@kristenhare It taught me never to trust terms like “background” and “off the record.” Always, always talk it through.
— Dan Kennedy (@dankennedy_nu) June 13, 2014
Bryan Demchinsky, semi-retired, former business editor, Montreal Gazette
As business editor, this one got by me: a reporter described the portly CEO of a family-owned cheese and dairy company as “a cheese magnet.”
Sandra Thomas, staff writer/travel editor, Vancouver Courier
Really enjoyed your column. It also brought to mind a story I wrote about the construction of the Canada Line rapid transit system in Vancouver prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Due to all of the constructions, the city had a huge insurgence of rats, which were being driven out of their normal habitat. I interviewed an exterminator who told me these rats were huge, but mistakenly gave me their length in centimetres rather than millimetres. And being notoriously bad at math, I wrote it verbatim and none of our proof readers caught it. It’s a wonder I didn’t start a riot with news of what would have been 12-foot rats running rampant across the city.
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