We will get things wrong. What matters is what happens next.
The Seattle Today corrects errors of fact promptly, visibly, and without waiting to be pushed. A correction is not an admission that our journalism is unreliable. Quietly editing a mistake out of a published story, or leaving it standing, is.
How to report an error
Email info@theseattletoday.com with the headline, the specific passage you believe is wrong, and, if you have it, the source that shows what is correct. Anyone can request a correction. You do not need to be the subject of the story.
We aim to respond within two business days, and faster where the error is significant or someone is being harmed by it.
What we do
- Correction. Where we published something factually wrong, we fix the text and add a note at the foot of the story saying what was wrong, what it now says, and the date we changed it.
- Clarification. Where the facts were right but the wording was open to a misreading, we sharpen the wording and note that we did.
- Update. Where the story was accurate when published but events have moved, we add the new information with a timestamp rather than rewriting history.
- Retraction. Where a story is fundamentally wrong and cannot be repaired, we withdraw it and publish an explanation in its place.
What we do not do
We do not delete stories to make problems disappear, and we do not remove accurate reporting because a subject has changed their mind about having spoken to us. Requests to unpublish are considered only where there is a genuine risk of harm, and the decision rests with the editor.
We do not correct matters of opinion, interpretation or emphasis through this process. If you think our judgment was wrong rather than our facts, write to us anyway. We would rather hear it.