When you make a mistake in this business you hear about it from everyone
It's not often that my stories are published with factual errors. Thanks to the keen, all-seeing eyes of the Morning News editors. And also thanks to...myself. I have to give myself props because if nothing else, I honestly try to get the story right. I mean that's really what news is about-getting it right, right? Well this week folks, I didn't get it right. In a region brief, I wrote that this Chesterfield teenager died after he stepped in front of a car. Well that's not what happened-actually someone DID die in Chesterfield because they stepped in front of a car. It just wasn't this guy. The pedestrian was killed a day or so before . The teenager (his last name is Funderburk, by the way) died because he was driving too fast, lost control of his truck and hit a tree. Now, I'm not one to make excuses for my mistakes -as a matter of fact I HATE it when people make excuses for their actions. People should admit their mistakes, correct them if possible and move the heck on. But I do want to take the opportunity and dish on how the mistake happened. It was the 22th, a Tuesday which is my Monday because I work Saturdays, so I'm busy trying to map my week. Well, this particular day there were an unusually large number of highway deaths. OK, there were three highway deaths . That might not seem like a lot, but that's rare and briefs on traffic fatalites are a lot of work to say they are usually no more than an inch or so long. First, you have to check out the Highway patrol fatalities website. Then you have to call each county's coroner and ask them a series of questions. Then you have to call the Highway Patrol message board to get the details of the crash. So late Tuesday afternoon I'm straining to hear a particularly low, muffled recording of a trooper detailing Funderburk's crash. At that moment, a person, who shall remain nameless, with a loud, booming voice comes and stands a few inches away from me and starts laughing and having this loud conversation with someone across the room. As a result I miss the majority of the recording and ended up having to call back. So I'm in the process of trying to find the correct recording again so then I think I've found it, but then this person starts up again. I guess I missed the part of the message when he mentioned the date. The rest in history. This spirited-voiced person wasn't wrong. There's nothing wrong with talking with your work buddies across the room. I do it and when something is really funny I like to laugh loud too. So anyway, after the brief hit the web and the paper, the emails, some of them rude, started rolling in. So I want to say to the public on behalf of all journalists : WE AIN'T PERFECT! WE GET DISTRACTED SOMETIMES TOO!!!! WE MAKE MISTAKES! Holla back if ya feel me!
Posted by on 01/25 at 08:29 PM
Sorry but you can’t make mistakes when you’re reporting on someones death. It’s too important and imperative that your facts are absolutely correct. But, I do feel you. Lord knows I’m far from perfect. Learn from it and move on.