Some of the most common complaints and requests for corrections that come across the desk in the readers' representative's office:
Numbers
Numbers are notoriously easy to mistype and the effects can be far reaching. For instance, mistakes in telephone numbers are the easiest to make, the easiest to avoid, but the most difficult to put right. One wrong digit is all it takes to make someone's life miserable. It's a curious and unfortunate fact that the wrong number nearly always belongs to a vulnerable person who can become very distressed by unwanted calls.
Publishing the correct number in the following day's newspaper does not always right the wrong, so journalists are exhorted, after they have typed their copy, actually to phone the number they have typed. Errors in typing a percentage or a sum of money can also have far-reaching effects.
Dates and times
MISTAKES in dates and/or times of events can cause much inconvenience to readers and organisers and, understandably, they can get very cross with us. Journalists are asked to always check and re-check this type of information.
Names
People are entitled to have their names spelled correctly. Writers should never assume anything. They should always check the spelling of a name. When using foreign names, they should not assume gender. Recently, The Irish Times referred to a female foreign minister as a "Mr". Apart from insulting the person, this type of mistake makes us look silly.
Web addresses
Just one wrong cedilla, slash, dash or dot can deny readers access to the information the reporters want them to have. Before filing a story, reporters are asked to log on to the url they have typed.
Photographs
It is all too easy to use the wrong photograph to illustrate a story. Think how easy it is to mix up John Browne, TD, FF, and John Browne, TD, FG, or the former senator Eoin Ryan and his son, Eoin Ryan TD.
Superlatives
ALL reporters are aware of the dangers in using superlatives such as "biggest", "first", "oldest". There is always someone who can prove them wrong. Experts on almost everything read The Irish Times!
