Speaking of the Tupac thing, I was a bit annoyed by the LA Times' apology over that whole mess.
It seems like whenever journalists make a mistake, they have to give the most head-over-heels ridiculous apology they can come up with.
I'm in no way suggesting that the LA Times shouldn't have issued an apology. There's no getting around that. But maybe instead of bending over, offer a more realistic apology. Point out that your paper publishes hundreds of wholly-accurate reports every month, and missteps like this are rare. Reiterate that your purpose is not to titilate or excite, but to provide verified, accurate information.
When bloggers and others criticize the media, they only report on the negative - A misdeed that the mainstream media itself is often accused of. By cowering and wimpering over their mistakes, newspapers are only reinforcing the point that they messed up.
Those forced to apologize should use the opportunity to highlight the positive; if we don't do it, no one else will.
P.S. When bloggers mess up, they sometimes mess up big. Just don't expect them to offer any big apologies about it, though.
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1 comment:
I agree. Especially with a highly-accredited paper like the LA Times. They need to prove that this was an isolated incident, and that it will be taken care of in that fashion, so as not to taint the entire image of the paper.
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