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Corrections and Clarifications

Latest Corrections

ABC News is committed to correcting significant errors when they occur. Individual program sites and news stories carry their own corrections and clarifications, but this site aggregates these in one place. Errors are sometimes brought to our attention by audience members. If you wish to draw our attention to errors, go to our contact page.

Friday, January 15 2010

Cardwell Sewerage Scheme

Local Radio Cairns and Brisbane, ABC News Online

On December 31, in a story about the proposed Cardwell Sewerage Scheme, far north Queensland, the ABC broadcast the incorrect name for an organisation that provided comment “The Alliance to Save Port Hinchinbrook”. The correct title of the organisation is “The Alliance to Save Hinchinbrook”.
The News Online version of the story was removed as it contained an inaccurate headline that “Environmental groups” were “critical” of the scheme. In fact, The Alliance to Save Hinchinbrook was yet to read the report and decide on the impact. The News Online story also misused the word “sewage”, when the report should at all times have referred to “sewerage”. That is, sewage is the waste matter which passes through sewers, sewerage is the system of the removal of waste waters and refuse by pipes and sewers.

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Thursday, January 14 2010

Incorrect attribution

Triple J News, Radio National, Local Radio News, Tasmania

On January 6, 2010, the ABC reported in a number of radio news bulletins that the Australian Retailers’ Association had predicted a fall of 3,000 in the number of retail jobs. The forecast was actually made by the Retailers’ Association, a group that is completely independent of the ARA.

Wednesday, January 6 2010

Grand slam

7pm TV News

On November 14, in a sports summary about three Australian teams playing overseas, the ABC incorrectly reported that the Wallabies would win a grand slam over the “British Island Nations” if they were to defeat Ireland at Croke Park. The ABC acknowledges that Ireland is not part of the United Kingdom.

Thursday, December 24 2009

GM report

ABC News Online

On October 27, in an article about the harvesting of a Genetically Modified canola crop in Geraldton, Western Australia, introduction of This article initially reported “GM food is not new, in fact it is well established in the global food chain.” And “So most chocolates, potato chips, mayonnaise and biscuits produced overseas contain some sort of GM organism.” These have been changed to “GM food is not new. It is established in a small part of the global food chain.” And “Some chocolates, potato chips, mayonnaise and biscuits produced overseas contain some sort of GM organism.”
The ABC acknowledges that the former comments were overstating the prevalence of GM in everyday foods.

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Wednesday, December 23 2009

Obama in China

ABC News Online

On November 17, in an update to an online story about Barak Obama answering questions from students during a visit to China, the ABC incorrectly reported that the meeting was in Beijing. In fact, he answered questions from students in Shanghai.

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Polar bears

ABC News Online

On December 5, in an article about the melting of Hudson Bay sea ice in Canada, the ABC used the heading that climate change was “driving polar bears to cannibalism”. The story explained that the sea ice which the bears need to walk across when hunting, was not appearing until weeks later than usual. This means the bears had a shortage of food and there had been cases reported of the bears eating cubs for food. The ABC acknowledges that polar bears are not necessarily driven towards cannibalism because of climate change; this claim should have been attributed to conservationists. The heading has been changed to: “Climate change drives polar bears to cannibalism, conservationists say”.

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