The most fundamental task of journalism is to get the facts right. People’s names are among the most basic and important facts we report. And yet …
Errors in names are the single most common reason for corrections. As I’ve noted before, each mistake â€" usually just a misspelling â€" may seem small in itself. But together, they add up to a large and continuing toll on our credibility. We have to do better, and then keep doing better.
One frequent misstep involves common names with multiple variations â€" Wolfe vs. Woolfe vs. Woolf, Stephen vs. Steven. Many other mistakes involve unusual or unfamiliar names. All names should be double-checked, but those two situations in particular cry out for additional scrutiny, by reporters and editors alike.
Below is the tally from just a week’s worth of print corrections. It is not a litany that would inspire confidence in a skeptical reader.
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July 2
An obituary on Sunday about the social critic Philip E. Slater misstated the surname of Mr. Slater’s co-author for the book “The Temporary Society.†He is Warren Bennis, not Bunnis.
An article on Monday about the high cost of fees to workers who receive their wages on prepaid cards rather than by paychecks misstated the surname of a policy associate at Retail Action Project who commented on the issue. He is Naoki Fujita, not Fuji.
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July 3
An article on Tuesday about more than 6,000 pages of documents released by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee misstated the surname of a Milwaukee priest who helped to form the group Catholic Whistleblowers. He is James Connell, not O’Connell.
An article on Tuesday about the deadly wildfire that killed 19 firefighters misidentified, in some editions, the university where Stephen J. Pyne, one of the nation’s leading fire historians, is a professor. It is Arizona State University, not the University of Arizona. The article also misspelled the surname of a contributing reporter in some editions. He is John Dougherty, not Doherty.
A headline last Wednesday with an article about flavored whiskeys misstated the surname of a distiller. He was Jack Daniel, not Daniels.
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July 4
An article on Wednesday about the inquiry into the death of the 19 firefighters killed in an Arizona wildfire misspelled, in some copies, the surname of the sole surviving firefighter in the group known as the Granite Mountain Hotshots. He is Brendan McDonough, not McDonogh. The article also misstated, in some copies, the given name of a spokesman for the Southwest Incident Command Team. He is Bob Orrill, not Paul.
A critic’s notebook article on Tuesday about the new ESPN documentary series “Nine for IX†misstated the given name of the director of a film in the series, “Venus VS.†She is Ava DuVernay, not Ana.
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July 5
An article on Monday about new Obama administration regulations requiring American companies investing in Myanmar to show steps they have taken to respect human rights there and to protect the environment misspelled the surname of a researcher at Human Rights Watch who said she expected that companies would comply to avoid public criticism. She is Lisa Misol, not Mosol.
A critic’s notebook article on June 17 about a recital and a workshop by the violinist Monica Germino and the electronic sound designer Frank van der Weij, at the Austrian Cultural Forum in Manhattan, misspelled the surname of the composer of a work that was performed, “With a Blue Dress On.†She is Julia Wolfe, not Woolfe.
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July 7
The theater entry in the Week Ahead column last Sunday about the new play “Choir Boy†misstated the surname of the play’s author. He is Tarell Alvin McCraney, not McRaney.
An article on June 23 about the WYOamericana Caravan, a 14-date tour through the heart of the West featuring three popular Wyoming bands, misstated the given name and the surname of the founder of the Web site sonicbids.com, which connects musicians with promoters, booking agents and retailers. He is Panos Panay, not Panay Pajos.
An article last Sunday about automobile-branded bicycles misstated the surname of a BMW spokeswoman. She is Nicole Fallenbeck, not Kallenbach.
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July 9
A picture caption on Saturday with an article about the annual Midsummer Night Swing festival, at Lincoln Center, misspelled the surname of a dance instructor who has given lessons at the event. As the article correctly noted, she is Margaret Batiuchok, not Batiuchuk.
An article on Monday about the marketing of “Monkey: Journey to the West,†the centerpiece of this year’s Lincoln Center Festival, misstated the name of the work’s director. He is Chen Shi-Zheng, not Cheng Shi Zheng.
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In a Word
This week’s grab bag of grammar, style and other missteps, compiled with help from colleagues and readers.
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The four-member commission was comprised of Justice Javed Iqbal of the Supreme Court, a retired police officer, a retired diplomat and a retired army general.
Remember, the whole comprises the parts. Make it “included,†“comprised,†“was composed of†or some other alternative.
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“They didn’t approach like the usual fanboys who asked, ‘You’re brother was in Nirvana?’ †she said.
“Your†brother, of course, not “you’re.â€
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As American palettes have evolved from Budweiser to Brunello di Montalcino, wineries have popped up in all 50 states, from the shores of Lake Michigan to the Texas Hill Country.
A distressingly common mistake. Make it “palates.â€
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Upon removing a woman’s body laying midway on the border between the two countries, they discover two halves â€" one belonging to a Swedish politician and the other to a Danish prostitute.
Lying, not laying.
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The ultimate luxury for some of them, in fact (though not for Ms. Uttech), would be the option to be a stay-at-home mother.
“I never miss a baseball game,†said Ms. Uttech, uttering a statement that is a fantasy for millions of working mothers (and fathers) nationwide. (This attendance record is even more impressive when you realize that her children play in upward of six a week.)
A fascinating piece, but this article was stuffed with parentheses, which make for choppy reading.
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Now he has become so aggravated that he is willing to stop his development and sell once and for all â€" just not to Mr. Serpico.
The use of “aggravate†as a synonym for anger or irritate is informal and best avoided; the precise meaning is “make worse.â€
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On Wednesday, Mr. Bloomberg ate his last ceremonial hot dog as mayor â€" heavy on the mustard, like usual â€" and promised to return to the festivities next year as a private citizen.
Make it “as usual.â€
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The collection of 500 statements, which includes inmates’ verbal as well as written remarks, has been the subject of analysis, criticism and debate by lawyers, criminal justice researchers and activists who oppose the death penalty.
“Verbal†means in words. Make it, “oral as well as written remarks.â€
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To me, having covered the South for many years, the term seems like one of those polite euphemisms that hides more than it reveals.
Make it “euphemisms that hide more than they reveal.†The subject of the relative clause in this construction â€" as we have pointed out many, many times before â€" is “that,†which here is plural to agree with its antecedent, “euphemisms.†The pronoun is not singular and does not refer to “term†or “one.†It would be a different construction, and a different meaning, if we said “the term seems like one that hides more than it reveals.†But in this sentence, we were describing a whole group of “euphemisms†that have a quality in common, not just one.
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At the end of my tour, I walked down the aisle past business (less gadgetry, but still a lot), past economy plus (more legroom), and to the vast acreage of economy, row upon row of empty seats that, in a few hours, would be filled with squalling babies, muscled guys in Bubba Gump T-shirts, girls in flamingo-pink tank tops, obese armrest hoggers, divorce lawyers jabbering on their cellphones before takeoff, women in spectacles reading “Wolf Hall,†Hasids, Pakistanis, Japanese â€" the melting pot of American coach.
Use Hasidim, not Hasids, for the plural.
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The day the photographs were published, the group said, four times as many people visited its Web site than usually do.
“Four times as many … as,†not “than.â€
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Marion Bartoli of France, the No. 15 seed, and Sabine Lisicki of Germany, the No. 23 seed, will face each other on Saturday, and one will win their first Grand Slam title.
“Her,†not “their.†This was later fixed online.
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Forty-percent of those here illegally didn’t jump a fence; they simply overstayed a student or tourist visa.
No reason for a hyphen.
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Standing outside the home here of a lesbian couple who has lived together and raised a family for 30 years, Democratic leaders said they would push to override the Republican governor’s veto of a same-sex marriage bill the Legislature passed last year.
“Have,†not “has.†See the entry in The Times’s stylebook on “coupleâ€:
couple may be either singular or plural. Used in reference to two distinct but associated people, couple should be construed as a plural: The couple were married in 1952. The couple argued constantly; they [not it] even threw punches. When the idea is one entity rather than two people, couple may be treated as a singular: Each couple was asked to give $10; The couple was the richest on the block. In general, couple causes fewer problems when treated as a plural.
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[Caption] Lake Bell and Isaac Mizrahi was among the celebrities who turned out for the annual Bergh Ball.
“Were†among, of course, not “was.â€
