A total of four corrections for conservative NYT op-ed columnists William Kristol and David Brooks. [E&P]
Alexei Barrionuevo, the Times scribe who's been outed as, at least, a two-time plagiarist, was called out for a third article about Canada and Chile's salmon industries. Today? The requisite correction that onlookers knew was coming.
An article on March 27 reported on a virus, infectious salmon anemia, or I.S.A., killing millions of salmon cultivated for export by Chile’s salmon farming industry. It quoted an official at the port of Castro, Chile, describing bags of fish food stored at the facility by Marine Harvest, a Norwegian company, as containing antibiotics, pigments and hormones. The official, Adolfo Flores, identified himself as the port director. He in fact worked as a security guard, The Times learned subsequently. Had The Times been aware of his actual position at the time, it would not have cited him as an authority on the contents of the bags, which were labeled medicated food. The article also should have noted that Marine Harvest and SalmonChile, an industry association, deny that they use hormones or that the pigments they use pose any risk to consumers.
You sort of expect to read plagiarized articles, columns, and books in newspapers, magazines, and websites around the world. But do you expect to read copied work submitted by … children? In the Washinton Post? "One of the poems that KidsPost published April 29 as part of its poetry contest was not written by the child who submitted it. The poem that appeared as “Horrible, Just Horrible” was actually written by Shel Silverstein and is titled “One Out of Sixteen.” The child who sent in the poem originally told KidsPost that it was her work. Another poem on the page, titled “Eraser,” was inspired by, but not credited to, Louis Phillips, who wrote “The Eraser Poem.”" [WaPo via RTE]
The New York Times' review of The Hills was updated today with this printed correction: "A television review on Monday about The Hills, on MTV, gave an incorrect identification in some editions for the character who has Whitney as a close friend and colleague. She is Lauren, not Heidi." Two surprises: The article wasn't written by Alessandra Stanley, and the correction did not apply to the part where Heidi was called a "feminist hero."
CORRECTIONS That New York Times blog post you read about Ron Paul might have implied that he’s a racist, but he’s not! He’s never even met with those white supremacists who are supporting his campaign. Plus, he has a blimp. According a recent poll, the two most important issues for voters this election are non-racism and blimp ownership. Ron Paul in ’08! [NYT]
Last night we finally picked up the New Yorker. Jonathan Lethem’s story was weird, and frankly if the New Yorker didn’t run an excerpted version of Fortress of Solitude, which admittedly made us cry back then, there’s no way, no way, it would have gotten into this issue.
Lizzie Widdicombe had another classic Talk of the Town piece. Just because she’s good doesn’t mean we resent her any less for regularly publishing in the New Yorker 18 months after graduating Harvard.
And Malcolm Gladwell was back to his pre-Tipping Point days in his piece on I.Q. tests. In other words, we enjoyed him again. But apparently we were mistaken. CONTINUED »
If there's one thing we here at Jossip never get tired of, it's heartwarming tales of how the rich get richer. Which is why we were thrilled to read all about how ambiguously gay designer type Tommy Hilfiger bought his oceanfront East Hampton summer home for $18 million last May, and just sold it for a staggering $26.5 million.
That's "more than $8 million profit!" Page Six excitedly points out. (Also known as $8.5 million). As it turns out, however, there's an excellent explanation for the sudden increase in property value. And it has to do with some combination of Mariah Carey and a cornucopia of bathrooms.
Sunday Styles messed up big time. Stephanie Rosenbloom’s piece on vajayjay claimed that the word originated on Grey’s Anatomy. In fact, the expression was used six years earlier according to a commenter on Fimoculous:
MC Paul Barman song 'MTV get off the air pt.2' from his 2000 EP It's Very Stimulating, in which he trades retardedly brilliant sex rhymes with Princess Superstar. Among other gems, this appears towards the end of the song: ‘Lady, one more complaint/and I'll shove a rape-whistle up the Mrs. Va-J-J.
Rape-whistle exploitation always leads to scandal.
One would think Jenna Bush's real life foibles would not need inflating. One would be wrong.
From the Times:
Correction: October 1, 2007
An article on Saturday about the publication of a new book by Jenna Bush, a daughter of President and Mrs. Bush, referred incorrectly to her involvement with under-age drinking. Ms. Bush was cited twice for under-age drinking, but was never arrested. The article also referred incorrectly to a widely publicized photograph of Ms. Bush taken in 2004. She stuck her tongue out at members of the news media, not at Secret Service agents.
Phew, glad that was cleared up.
"An obituary on Saturday about the writer Madeleine L’Engle, author of 'A Wrinkle in Time,' misspelled the surname of that book’s heroine. She is Meg Murry, not Murray." One can only hope the fictional Ms. Murry was mollified by the correction. [NYT]
Whilst browsing the Weddings/Celebrations section of this Sunday's New York Times, we couldn't help but notice what may well be the most amazing correction ever written on page 21. Without wanting to unnecessarily delay your enjoyment, we've decided to omit a clumsily written introduction and simply—and cheerfully—reproduce it below, for your utmost reading pleasure.
A report on Oct. 24 1988, about the marriage of Amy Levine and David Abrams, misstated where the bride received her undergraduate degree. She graduated from Brown University, not Boston University. Amy Abrams only recently called attention to the error.
Thanks for finally setting the record straight, Amy. And here we've spent the past nineteen years berating you for attending a non-Ivy. [NYT]
Ever fondled a child? Been incorrectly pegged as a size 16? Lied about your alma mater to get your wedding announcement in the Times? If so, there's an excellent chance your life is already as good as over. Either that or Clark Hoyt is just short on material this week.
According to a research study conducted by Professor Scott R. Meier (and highlighted by Slate's Jack Shafer) only 2% of "flawed articles" are later corrected.
When asked for her opinion on the new study, a somewhat vindicated Alessandra Stanley replied, "Ha! Looks like instead of lambasting me for my litany of errors, you guys should actually be praising me for my honesty and forthrightness".
She then immediately issued a correction.
[Slate]
Did you read last week's New York Times Sunday's Style section? Of course you did! And, knowing you as we do, you paid particular notice to the Wedding/Celebration section, particularly to the announcement of Ikeolu Gbadegesin and Oreoluwa Adetunji Adeyemi's nuptials, where you especially noticed the part describing Gbadegesin's academic honors.
If not, let us refresh your memory.
Ms. Gbadegesin, 29, was, until May, a senior international lawyer at the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a government agency that provides grants to poor countries. She will begin working next month as an associate in the London office of the New York law firm White & Case. She received bachelor’s and law degrees from Harvard and graduated magna cum laude from both schools.
Ah, another high-performing Harvard law school graduate finds love, or so it seems. 'But wait!' warns a tipster. Gbadegesin's academic achievements might not be quite as impressive as they appear.
Editorial Director
