A case study of 50 years of corrections in a college newspaper
By Alyssa Appelman, Northern Kentucky University
and Kirstie Hettinga, California Lutheran University
Abstract: Corrections increase transparency and credibility, but college newspapers rarely publish them. This study explores trends in college newspaper corrections. In particular, it analyzes 50 years of corrections at a sample college newspaper and its website. Through thematic analysis (N = 95 corrections), it discusses changes in correction style and content over time. It explores the struggles of college newspapers, as well as the influence of professional news outlets. In particular, the authors identified a shift from early “requests for corrections” to more “modern” corrections that included labels and apologies. It also finds a strong influence of the student editor, who occasionally published specific calls for transparency and accuracy. As student newspapers have significant staff turnover, this study recommends that messages about corrections and accuracy be shared by student media’s consistent forces: relevant classes, publication handbooks, and—perhaps most importantly—faculty advisers.
Keywords: Corrections, Accuracy, Transparency, Classes, Handbooks, Advisers
Method: Thematic Analysis Continue reading “Research (Vol. 57): Errors, Requests, Apologies…”