As a longtime editor, it saddens me to see standards decline
as news outlets cut back on staff. Today, readers can find errors everywhere,
from newspapers to online accounts to new books.
It’s especially glaring when errors involve simple things.
For example, not long ago the newspaper I was long associated with ran a map
showing a westside location that was actually on the eastside – and that
location was across the street from the newspaper.
Errors like these undermine any news outlet’s most precious
commodity – trust. If readers come to doubt the trustworthiness of an outlet’s
news, they will look elsewhere for accurate accounts. And that leads to further
decline for that news outlet. By the time the outlet’s executives realize the
damage, it may be too late.
There’s just no substitute for good editing.
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