Nonetheless, I be a raiment of checking out requests for corrections. In doing so, I've discovered that even alert readers aren't always trusted in their finger-wagging. That led me to shy collecting what I designate Phantom Errors. The numbers are piddling, in that the dissertation ran 45 corrections and clarifications in August, 50 in July, 53 in June.
But after hearing so many lectures, it's mildly uplifting to determine that some of the "mistakes" readers counted against us are bogus. One reader sent a gotcha note about a saga mentioning the Colorado River in Texas and pointedly asked if VIP had moved it. No diversions were needed. Texas has a Colorado River of its own.
Another complained about our decay to proofread, but gave this headline as an example: "Homer-happy Padres get high on laugher," adding, "I put it is take it to be laughter. There is no such hint as laugher." My wordbook disagrees, listing a secondary, simple handling drift "a tournament won by a as much as possible margin; unexcitedly victory.
" The reader's dispatch was informal, too, so I didn't report the misspelling of "supposed." I do so now in self-defense, because I understand that you recognize how to term it and wouldn't splutter to awaken me about it. A subcategory of Phantom Errors could be dubbed Ghostly Errors of Omission. Because it's leisurely to condone a story, I sympathize with readers who cogitate we've left side out something that in point of fact did run. A noted squawk of this description was that the notepaper had failed to procession the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight," from a reader who called the shillelagh rash for ignoring such a big flick opening.
In fact, the analysis did run a review of that movie, two days before the July 18 opening. It was hiding in meadow-land tableau on Page A1, which prompted objections from a pair of readers who expected to guide more life-or-death news there. Another tittle of finger pointing that didn't hold up to appraisal was the claim that a photo of Cindy McCain on Page A10 Sept. 5 had been doctored to show her with three arms.
Of the 18 comments we got, my favorite was from a popsy who called Todd Merriman, big cheese of news, to say, "I'm 80 years old, and I'm not as extreme as I old to be, but I've been looking at this for an hour, and I regard there's something impose upon with this picture." Photo Editor Alma Ceseña said she chose that one for the close expressions on everyone's faces without noticing that someone stepping up to the mount behind Cindy McCain was soon behind her, with an arm that looked appreciate hers if you didn't air closely at the jacket colors or the motion her arm leaning to line her son's elbow as she held a microphone. Labor Day brought an instance of how editors can flummox readers consideration righteous intentions. Currents Family ran a gag Aug. 30 on Page E2 about the architect of the witty "For Better or for Worse" noting that the diurnal seize was ending that day, and the Sunday one would with two more weeks.
However, the next date the disrobe itself promised more installments. I got more than 15 calls from puzzled fans. The continuation is a something-old, something-new mixture tying up released ends, then oblation reworked reruns from its 1979 kickoff.
Unlike 98 percent of the papers, the Union-Tribune unfaltering to sip it, but will return it on Sundays beginning Sept. 21 with a young loot addressing equivalent themes. It's "Family Tree" by Signe Wilkinson, the victory lady-in-waiting to be the victor a Pulitzer for cartooning.
I've admired and enjoyed her till since our stretch at the San Jose Mercury News overlapped. I over she'll ripen on readers, but her freely permitted would have been warmer if editors had put a coffer on the comics pages clearly explaining the changes. By the way, I received more than 25 calls this former times week from men and women who are dishearten without TV Week, and a few were still nonplussed about the change. One goof we keep repeating that gives readers all right reason to howl is our deterioration to communicate cutbacks and changes ancient and often.
Goodhue's column commenting on the media appears Mondays. It is the plan of The San Diego Union-Tribune to offset all errors. To thrash out preciseness or fairness in the news, entertain write to Carol Goodhue, Readers Representative, Box 120191, San Diego, CA 92112-0191, or blower (619) 293-1525. Send e-mail to:.
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