Accuracy in Reporting Needed

Dear Editor,

It is very important to preserve the integrity of your newspaper that corrections be reported when you print fact errors. I am disappointed that you did not at least publish my letter to the editor last week regarding the fact errors in the "Informed Voters Wanted" editorial.

I don`t think that just printing the Charrette report in its entirety solves the problem. Both the incorrect article and date of publishing need to be referenced, along with the corrected information. Perhaps the Cedar Key News needs an ongoing corrections column, as the articles remain available online for such a long period of time, and will continue to mislead the public. It is imperative that the information
you print as news is truth. Maybe providing a byline for every article would help make the reporting reliable, as someone would become accountable for their accuracy.

In this week`s edition, the City Commission Meeting Summary reports that the Commission unanimously approved a proposal to submit application for a Community Development Block Grant. This information is also incorrect. The Commission`s vote was actually four in favor and one against. This error may be unimportant to the paper, however, it is important to me. Several citizens asked that I not support another grant proposal right now, and I tried to represent their wishes. Your inaccurate report makes it seem as if I ignored their requests. Please correct this challenge the paper is encountering, or lose the trust of the community.

Thanks,
Vanessa Edmunds

Editors Note: We at Cedar Key News regret our error in reporting that Commissioner Edmunds voted for, rather than against the motion in question. At Commissioner Edmunds` suggestion, we are instituting a "Corrections Button" that should facilitate finding whatever corrections that are needed in the future.

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