Know Your News: What happens when a mistake is made? How corrections work in journalism

Why news outlets seek to update errors quickly and thoroughly, even if it’s embarrassing

By: Kelly Burch

Outlets: Granite State News Collaborative

Published: September 30, 2025

Words: 874

Last Updated: 4 months ago

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We’re taught from a young age that everyone makes mistakes. When those human mistakes happen in a news organization, as they inevitably do now and then, the outlet needs to quickly issue a correction.

“Our obligation is to the truth and if we didn’t get it right, it’s our job to make it right,” said Tom Kearney, who has been an editor since the 1980s, most recently with the Granite State News Collaborative.

Corrections …

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