I could tell you some B.S. like, "it happens to the best of us!" but this class is about accountability and I'll take full responsibility with no excuses:
I fataled. If you're wondering how, let me explain:
After uploading blog posts about the speech assignment, one of you took an early sneak-peek and noted that I fataled somebody for saying the speech took place two days before Halloween. I fataled it, noting that in the preface it simply said the event was a few days before Halloween.
What I missed -- and what you caught -- was that in the text, the surgeon general said this:
"In just two days many of our young people will be celebrating Halloween."
Yes, I completely missed it. Yes, in this instance I failed to do the due diligence that I implore each and every one of you to do each and every time. That is my fault. There is no excuse.
If any good comes out of this, I hope this highlights that it simply doesn't matter how experienced you are at being a journalist; you have to do the fundamentals each time and every time. You can't take short cuts because you're busy or in a hurry or tired or because you think you know what you're doing. There are things you can find ways to do faster in journalism, but you can never skip a step in the process. You have to do the little things every time out.
My thanks to the person who tipped me off to this and saved somebody else's grade. You did the right thing; you double-checked a fact and brought attention to a claim not supported by the facts. That's a good journalistic action. That's what we do, right?
If your mother says she loves you, check it out. And if the teacher says it's a fatal, check that out, too. The worst thing that happens is that you confirm I'm right, and the best thing that happens is that you find -- and, more importantly -- fix -- a mistake.
You may flog me now. And no, it doesn't mean I'll take it easy on finding and noting future fatals on your part.
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