iMediaEthics’ latest roundup of corrections includes repeated errors on Julian Assange, geography mixups, an Angela Merkel misquote and nutrition errors.
1.Merkel or May?
An Associated Press story mixed up who said that “Britain will find its way” after Brexit. The story reported originally that now-former British prime minister Theresa May said:
“I trust very firmly that Britain will find its way. It is a proud, great nation and it will remain our partner even if Britain is no longer a member of the European Union.”
But, German Chancellor Angela Merkel made the comments. The July 21 correction reads:
“In a story July 19 about Brexit, The Associated Press erroneously attributed a quote in the 14th paragraph. German Chancellor Angela Merkel made the comments, not British Prime Minister Theresa May.”
2. Julian Assange hasn’t been charged with rape. iMediaEthics has previously covered media misreporting on Assange and the distinction between allegations and charges.
The July 22 BBC correction:
“In a report on the Swedish investigation into the rape allegations against Julian Assange being reopened, our presenter referred to charges against him. While there have been allegations made against Mr Assange, he has never been charged.”
3. Soy, protein, and other nutrition facts.
The Wall Street Journal posted a lengthy correction about soy, amino acids, meat, carbohydrates and other nutrition facts. The July 23 correction reads:
“Soy contains nine essential amino acids that can’t be made by the body. Protein and carbohydrates have about the same calorie count per gram. A Life & Arts column Thursday about how much protein to eat incorrectly said that no plant protein contains all nine essential amino acids. It also incorrectly said meat and carbohydrates have the same calorie count per gram; however, meat contains fat, water and other components that can affect calorie comparisons. Meanwhile, an adult should consume about 45 grams of protein a day, which requires one to eat about eight ounces of meat or other food rich in complete proteins. The column didn’t make clear that 45 grams referred to protein as opposed to a metric conversion of eight ounces. A correction published Friday addressed the metric conversion of ounces to grams rather than clarifying that an adult needs 45 grams of protein a day.
4. The Baltics and Balkans are not interchangeable.
The July 24 New York Times correction reads:
“Because of an editing error, a picture caption with an article on Tuesday about the discovery of a shipwreck from the Renaissance era misstated the vessel’s location. It was found in Baltic waters, not Balkan waters.”