Last Thursday, the Minneapolis Star Tribune's tablet version ran a Macy's pressure cooker advertisement right next to the tragic Boston Marathon Bombing story, that was reported to be caused by pressure cookers filled with explosives. To make matters worse, the paper also ran the same exact ad for their print version. I was personally shocked that no one on staff picked up on the mistake before the printed version was released. The Cape Cod Times, also printed the same the thing but they actually apologized for it. Even Macy's sent out an apology for the "bad timing" of the ad. However, the Minneapolis Star Tribune did not make a comment or an apology. I even check on their twitter page and I still found nothing.
Do you think that they should own up to their mistakes and apologize to their readers?
I didn't see this at all, but it definitely is terrible timing.
ReplyDeleteEven though many news organizations didn't find out that the bombs were made in pressure cookers for a while, the advertisement could have been removed. I personally don't know how close the advertisement team works with reporting teams, but I feel like this is something the paper should have picked up quickly.
I think that any mistake a news organization does should have an apology to readers, because if not, readers will be lost because of the lack of credibility that is portrayed. Granted, the nature of this event has led to a lot of different news organizations making mistakes, a la CNN, apologies should always be issued to viewers and readers; that is the duty of a news organization and specified in the SPJ code of ethics.
I think they should have apologized because it would mean a lot to their readers if they owned up to their completely honest mistake but it doesn't cost them anything to apologize and secure goodwill with their readers.
ReplyDeleteI think apologies have become the norm in journalism, and it reflects badly upon a news organization to try to ignore a mistake. News readers have access to tremendous amount of information nowadays, and will catch anything. They are also easily put off by bad practices, as seen with CNN's misreporting of the Tsaernev arrest last week. Journalists should all try to be accountable for the things they do wrong so that they can remain credible to the people who are most responsible for the advancement of their careers.
ReplyDeleteI think that that is almost as bad as the CNN reporter saying that the streets were empty and that there was an eerie silence and that it was as if "a bomb had dropped". Just like the pressure cooker ad, this was incredibly insensitive and someone should have been smart enough to say that it shouldn't have been done.
ReplyDeleteI think that these newspapers should obviously have apologized to their readers for a mistake like this. While the mistakes weren't intentional - who in their right mind would intentionally try to do such a thing? - they do show carelessness that may lose readers' trusts. For the Cape Cod Times to own up to it immediately is certainly the right thing to do, and I question why the Star-Tribune didn't come forward itself. Apologizing will always earn greater trust in readers than simply ignoring a problem or mistake.
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