Why we publish corrections openly
Errors are an unavoidable by-product of publishing, and how a newsroom handles them is a better measure of its reliability than the claim that it makes none. USA Wire treats a correction as part of the permanent record of an article rather than as something to be edited away quietly. We do not delete an article to resolve an error, and we do not rewrite history by changing a sentence without saying that we changed it.
Categories of change
A correction is issued when we have published something factually wrong: an incorrect number, name, date, title, statutory reference or attribution. The article is amended and a dated note is appended stating what was wrong and what it now says.
A clarification is issued where the original wording was defensible but capable of leaving a reader with a materially misleading impression. The text is sharpened and a note explains the ambiguity that was removed.
An update records new developments in a live story. Updates are dated and do not imply that the earlier version was wrong.
An editor’s note is used for failures larger than a single fact: an unfair framing, an unmet standard, a source who should not have been used anonymously, or a conclusion the evidence did not support. It appears at the top of the article and explains the failure in plain terms.
How we label changes
Every change of substance carries a date. Silent editing is limited strictly to typographical fixes, broken links, formatting and accessibility repairs that do not alter meaning. Where a headline is changed for accuracy, the note records the original headline. Where a chart or image is replaced, the note says what changed in the underlying figures.
Requesting a correction
Anyone may request a correction, and you do not need to be the subject of an article to do so. Use our contact page and include the article headline, the specific sentence at issue, and either the accurate information or a source we can verify. Requests are assessed on evidence alone.
We acknowledge correction requests within one business day wherever possible. Straightforward factual errors are usually fixed the same day. Requests that require re-reporting take longer, and we will tell you that we are working on it rather than leaving you without a reply.
What we will not do
We will not remove accurate reporting because a subject finds it unwelcome, and we do not accept payment, advertising commitments or offers of access in exchange for altering or withdrawing an article. Requests to remove a person’s name from accurate coverage are considered only in narrow circumstances involving demonstrable risk to safety, and are decided by a senior editor.
Escalation
If you believe a correction request has been handled poorly, you may ask for it to be reviewed by an editor who was not involved in the original decision. Say clearly that you are seeking escalation so that your message is routed correctly.