So, somebody filed their story and noted the rape happened on Monday. Of course, for this assignment the crime date had to be Wednesday or Thursday, depending on which day you actually wrote it.
The person realized their mistake and sent in a corrected copy. I'm sorry to say that the original copy holds. We have to get it right the first time we turn something in, especially on deadline. There's no stopping the printing press unless it's a real emergency, and you can't restart the 11 o'clock news at 11:03.
This one especially pains me because this was my most common type of fatal when I was a pro: I couldn't get the day of the week right to save my life. Thursdays would feel like Tuesdays, and I'd type in the wrong date like an idiot.
So I got into the habit of religiously checking the date before I turned in a story; even asking peers to take a quick check and see if I got the date right.
I learned that lesson the hard way; after a couple of fatals found their way into the paper. So my heart goes out to you, but I wouldn't be doing you a favor by acting like it's no big deal when in the real world, it is.
Sorry, folks.
We now have eight members of the Fatals Club (nine, if you count me). Three more to go.
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