NewsBeagle Blog · Practical guides
How to Tell If a News Article Has Been Corrected
Learn how to find a correction note, distinguish a factual correction from an update, and share the corrected version with its context.
Open the article, not only the search snippet
Search results, screenshots and social posts can preserve wording from an earlier version. Open the publisher’s current article and look around the headline, byline and end of the story for a correction, editor’s note or update label. Check the article’s original publication time and any separate ‘updated’ time.
Not every site places notes in the same location, and not every edit is a correction. A newer timestamp can mean the story has developed, a minor detail has changed, or a factual error has been fixed. Read the note itself before deciding what changed.
Distinguish corrections from updates and clarifications
A correction addresses information the publisher says was wrong. An update may add new developments without saying that the earlier report was inaccurate. A clarification explains wording or context that readers could misunderstand. Publishers use their own labels, so describe the notice using the publisher’s wording and the facts it actually states.
The Associated Press says its factual corrections are labelled as corrections and made visible to readers; that is AP’s stated policy, not a guarantee that every publisher follows the same practice. Look for a clear note identifying the error and the corrected information.
Read the correction alongside the current story
Identify the exact claim that changed, then check how the corrected text affects the rest of the article. A corrected name or date may not alter the main account; a correction to a location, cause or number could materially change it. Do not infer the size of the error from the fact that a note exists.
If the publisher links to a separate correction notice, read both pages. A syndicated or copied version may not update at the same time as the original. Follow the article’s source link and compare the note on the publisher’s own page before quoting a cached snippet or repost.
Worked example: a changed figure
Suppose a report originally says a public meeting begins at 6 p.m., then a visible correction says the start time is 6:30 p.m. The useful summary is: ‘The publisher corrected the start time from 6 to 6:30 p.m.; the current article shows 6:30.’ Keep the correction notice and current article link together so readers can see what changed.
If the page only adds a later statement without acknowledging an earlier error, call it an update, not a correction. This example is hypothetical and does not refer to a current event.
Our editorial approach
This guide is written by the NewsBeagle Editorial Desk to help readers compare attributed coverage and find original reporting. See our editorial policy and publisher directory.