Do newspapers try to hide their corrections?  It’s just a myth that they do, according to the Editors’ Code Committee secretary Ian Beales, speaking about a new amendment to the code (Clause 1 (ii)), which will see editors negotiate the positioning of corrections with the Press Complaints Commission ahead of publication.

“This amendment is designed to help kill the myth that newspapers and magazines routinely bury corrections,” said Beales.

“Research conducted by the PCC has shown this to be untrue – nearly 85% of PCC-negotiated corrections and apologies appear no further back than the original transgression, or in a designated corrections column.

“It is also the case that most editors already consult with the PCC informally on the position of corrections. This change formalises that position in the hope that it will remove one, at least, of the misconceptions about the PCC and the self-regulatory system.”

Sources: Press Gazette and PA Media Lawyer (subscription required).