Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

The Tribune screwed up. And TBO is trying to cover it up.

In Thursday’s newspaper, an article notes that local boxer Nate Campbell was released from jail. The arrest related to a domestic battery on his ex-girlfriend, Kanesha James. In the article, reporter Mike Wells said that Kanesha testified on Nate’s behalf, and contradicted statements she had made earlier to police. The article sort of insinuates the testimony led to his release.

Problem is that Kanesha James did not testify at the hearing.

Her attorney contacted the Tampa Tribune, and they found out that the quotes were made by a completely different woman from what appears to be a completely different case. In addition to a correction notice, there is an entire article devoted to the screwup, letting us know that “the newspaper met with James in person and apologized.”

What a mess. But what makes this worse is the media company’s online attempt to pretend it didn’t happen. In my mind, Media General/TBO/Tribune loses credibility when they attempt to make the original story just disappear.

Here’s how the original story appeared (via google cache).
Here’s what the same story looks like today (headline only).
And here’s the same story again, but edited to delete any reference to a testimony, even making sure to mention that Kenesha did not testify.

Of course you don’t want to just leave up the original incorrect story. But the internet is the opposite of Las Vegas. What happens there goes everywhere, and stays visible to everyone. Always (see google cache). So in the interest of full disclosure and transparency, Media General/TBO/Tampa Tribune has got to suck it up and point it out. Instead of just fixing the errors, why not add an editor’s note to the top of the original story? Explain that the article has incorrect information, and include a link to a newly corrected story, a link to the correction notice, and a link to the apology article.

Does this make sense? Or am I making too big of a deal about it?