Scott MaierUniversity of Oregon

News Accuracy: Trans-Atlantic Perspectives

Accuracy: Foundation of media credibility

"Accuracy is our prime directive, with everything else flowing from it."

Michael FancherThe Seattle Times

“Respect for truth and for the right of the public to truth is the first duty of the journalist.”

International Federation of Journalists

News Accuracy

Public view hits two decade low

How often errors really occur?

Does accuracy really matter?

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News Accuracy Study

Investigators: Philip Meyer, University of North Carolina

Scott Maier, University of Oregon

Instrument: 4-page questionnaire

Sample: 7,600 news stories in 22 newspapers

Response Rate: 68 percent

U.S. News Accuracy

Factual errors found in nearly half of news stories

Three errors per story

Highest error rate in 70 years of research

Factual errors

NError

Severity

Factual Errors

Misquotation 690 3.01Inaccurate headline 482 3.09Numbers Wrong 423 2.83Misspelling 330 1.94Job Title Wrong 279 2.57Name Wrong 113 3.11Location Wrong 90 2.93Time Wrong 71 2.75Date Wrong 71 3.07Address Wrong 56 3.30Age Wrong 46 2.57

Subjective Errors

N SeverityEssential Information Missing 918 3.03Quotes Distorted 699 2.90Story Sensationalized 603 3.22Numbers misleading 419 3.12Story Understated 348 2.95

Causes of error

Reason N %*

Lack of understanding 520 25.9Deadline pressure 379 18.9Insufficient research 346 17.3Didn't ask enough questions 254 12.7Events were confusing 252 12.6Didn't ask right questions 243 12.1Laziness 198 9.9Pressure to scoop others 135 6.7Source provided misinformation 18 0.9

*Percent of stories with errors.

Accuracy Matters

Credibility drops measurably with each error.

Error explains one third of perceived story credibility.

Errors impair relationship with sources:

Willingness to serve as source drops with error

European Journalism Observatory

• Director: Prof. Dr. Stephan Russ-Mohl

• Principle investigators: – Colin Porlezza– Marta Zanichelli

• Consultant: Scott Maier

European Journalism Observatory

1000 news stories in 5 Swiss newspapers 1000 news stories in 5 Italian newspapers

Switzerland ItalyTages-Anzeiger L’Eco di BergamoAargauer Zeitung Il Resto del CarlinoBerner Zeitung Il Giornale di SiciliaSüdostschweiz Il Giornale di BresciaBasler Zeitung Il Secolo XIX

European Journalism Observatory

Replicated U.S. study Surveyed quoted information sources Local byline articles from front page, local, business

and lifestyle sections

Response rates: 50% Swiss sample 15% Italian sample

Stories with factual error(s)

Swiss Newspapers

Italian Newspapers

U.S. Newspapers

60% 52% 48%

Error types

Fact error US Swiss Italian

% % %Misquoted 21.0 26.5 22.1

Headline wrong 14.7 26.6 26.6

Numbers wrong 12.9 12.4 14.9

Misspelling 10 12.9 13.6

Job title wrong 8.5 11.6 13.6

Name wrong 3.4 8 7.8

Address wrong 1.7 2.7 2.6

Age wrong 1.4 2.6 1.5

Location wrong 2.7 3.1 3.9

Time wrong 2.2 4.3 3.9

Date wrong 2.2 3.1 2.6

Stories with subjective error(s)

Quotes distorted Essential information missing

Story sensationalized Numbers misleading

Swiss Newspapers

Italian Newspapers

U.S. Newspapers

56% 56% 47%

Causes of errorCauses of Errors US Swiss Italian

%* %* %*Lack of understanding 25.9 27 22.4Deadline pressure 18.9 23.2 23.4Insufficient research 17.3 17.1 13.1Events were confusing 12.6 13.3 12.1Didn't ask enough questions 12.7 7.5 6.5

Didn't ask right questions 12.1 5.8 2.8Laziness 9.9 4.6 9.3Pressure to scoop others 6.7 7 6.5Source provided misinformation 0.9 1.7 0.9

* Percent of stories with errors.

Sources remain “eager” to serve

Swiss sources especially willing to forgive errors

Swiss Newspapers

Italian Newspapers

U.S. Newspapers

56% 38% 36%

Swiss Newspapers

Italian Newspapers

U.S. Newspapers

5.45 5.18 5.10

Trust in newspapers (from 1=little trust to 7=much trust

Accuracy Matters

News accuracy a global challenge.Across nations, errors found in at least every

other news article.

Credibility and trust depend on accuracy.

Across nations, errors diminish respect of and confidence in newspaper.

Further study needed

Sample: Collect 200 to 400 news stories.

Sources: Identify and locate at least one primary news source for each article.

Consider partnerships: Larger and more honest response when survey independently conducted.

Further study neededSurvey: Personally addressed letter and news article

with each questionnaire.

Promise confidentiality. Sources fear their complaints will be used against them.

Consider rewards: Small gift or promised donation to charity increases participation.

Delivery: Use postal mail and email for maximum response.

Follow-up: Repeat two to three times.

Further study needed

Questionnaire: Available in English, German and Italian from Scott Maier, smaier@uoregon.edu

Corrections

Only one in 10 errors reported to the newspaper.

Corrections requests

Depends on:

Number and severity of errors

Newspaper credibility

Perceived cause of error

Why errors ignored

Errors considered minor

Perfection not expected

Why errors ignored

Sense of futility“Happens all the time”

Corrections corner “useless”

Make matters worseCorrections draw attention to error

Fear newspaper wrath“Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel.”

Conclusions

Emotional threshold: Public tolerates some error

Tipping point: Demand correctionUnforgiving of lazy, incomplete

reporting

Unforgiving of unfair reporting

Errors in a digital age

The Theory: News errors online quickly identified and

corrected.

The Reality:

Smaller staffs expected to do more.

Errors frequently made in haste to post news.

Online stories get little or no review by editors.

Corrections never catch up with the viral spread of online news.

Errors in a digital age

Mistakes easier to report

Correction Buttons

M E D I A B U G S

Digital Accuracy

Accuracy is the prime directive in a digital age.

Across nations,errors multiple on the Internet.

Across nations, avoiding errors the best corrective!