Typ-Ohs

Seeing that at one time in my life I was a newspaper editor, the annual correction and typo awards always make me giggle. Mercifully, one fateful error that I was partly responsible for in 2004 didn't make last year's list. So anywho, here are a few of my favorites from 2005:

Best Case(s) of Mistaken Identity
Sharing a name with a convicted mobster can be dangerous. Just ask Frank Calabrese, a Chicago businessman. Or Stanley Swieton, also from Chicago. Calabrese opened up the Chicago Tribune one day in April, turned to page 18, and found his picture in a graphic titled "Infrastructure of a Chicago mob." The paper inadvertently used his image instead of one for Frank Calabrese Sr. who is currently in prison. The next day the Trib used a picture of Stanley Swieton and identified him as Joseph "The Clown" Lombardo, another mobster. To make matters worse, the pic ran on the front page under a headline asking, "Have you seen this `Clown?"

Calabrese subsequently sued the paper for $1 million. Here are the corrections:

"A graphic explaining the alleged infrastructure of the Chicago Outfit mob on Page 18 of Tuesday's main news section incorrectly used a picture of businessman Frank Calabrese instead of mobster Frank Calabrese Sr. A story explaining the mistake appears on Page 1 of today's Metro section."

"A picture caption on Page 1 Wednesday incorrectly identified a man on a bicycle as the reputed mob boss Joey "the Clown" Lombardo. In fact, the man's name is Stanley Swieton and he has no ties to organized crime. A story explaining the mistake is on Page 1 of today's Metro section."

........

Best Abuse of Punditry
In August, a Fox News pundit identified a home he said belonged to a terrorist. It did belong to the man he named -- three years ago. Now it belongs to a family and they lived a nightmare because of the mistake. The LA Times report on the incident (full post):

"In what Fox News officials concede was a mistake, John Loftus, a former U.S. prosecutor, gave out the address Aug. 7, saying it was the home of a Middle Eastern man, Iyad K. Hilal, who was the leader of a terrorist group with ties to those responsible for the July 7 bombings in London.

Hilal, whom Loftus identified by name during the broadcast, moved out of the house about three years ago. But the consequences were immediate for the Voricks.

… A driver yelled a profanity at the family and called them terrorists as they barbecued on their patio Aug. 14. Some drivers have stopped and photographed the house, Randy Vorick said.
Last weekend, someone spray-painted 'Terrist' on their home. Police, who have regularly patrolled their house since the day after the broadcast, now station a squad car across the street ...
The Voricks said they had made several unsuccessful attempts to contact Fox News and Loftus by telephone and e-mail. They want a public apology and correction.
Both have issued apologies — Fox in a one-line statement to the Los Angeles Times and Loftus in an e-mail to the family — after being contacted by the newspaper. The Voricks say they have yet to see or hear a correction.
'John Loftus has been reprimanded for his careless error, and we sincerely apologize to the family,' said Fox spokeswoman Irena Brigante.
Loftus also apologized and told The Times last week that 'mistakes happen.'
'I'm terribly sorry about that. I had no idea. That was the best information we had at the time,' he said.

Also, be sure to check out the Best Service Journalism award ... that may be my favorite.