7 - Retractions, press releases and newspaper coverage - Jeffrey Martin

Reference:  Rada, R. F. (2007). Retractions, press releases and newspaper coverage. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 24(3), 210-215. doi:10.1111/j.1471-1842.2007.00724.x From: Academic Search Premier

Theme:  The article discusses a newspaper retraction and explores whether the printed article matches the press release.

Summary:  Journalists often time make mistakes, or maliciously misrepresent information within articles.  Mistakes are far more common than maliciousness.  Retractions must often be issued to correct problems with an article.  People’s reactions to the original article may differ greatly from that of the retraction. 

·         It is important to check whether or not the article you are referencing has been retracted. 

·         The mass media may serve as a good way to reach people.

·         Career field specific journals may serve as a better way to reach your audience.

·         Retraction press releases may not match what is published.

Application to lesson:  This article was specifically about the retraction of medical journal articles using a press release.  These press releases may not match the retraction, so checking what is actually printed is important.  If the retraction leaves out critical information from the press release, it may be necessary to contact the media outlet and ask them for another retraction.

Application to Emergency Services:  Do not trust that the media has your best interests in mind.  You should always check articles or stories for accuracy against your original press release.  This is why having a good relationship with local media contacts is so important.  With good rapport, you can easily get errors retracted and corrected.