Mei Lan, whose name means “Atlanta Beauty” is a Giant Panda who was born on September 6, 2006, at Zoo Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia. You erroneously reported that she was born in Washington, DC.

I have watched this panda grow up ever since she was born. For you to report that she was born in Washington, DC, is not only an unfortunate misrepresentation but completely undermines Zoo Atlanta as the most successful Giant Panda breeding and conservation program in the United States. A correction to this story is necessary, and I believe an apology is in order to Mei Lan, Zoo Atlanta, and all of us in Atlanta who have been combing the news to keep up with our Atlanta Beauty since her departure, and we shall continue to do so.

Sharon

Your report on the panda, Mei Lan, not eating upon return to China, incorrectly stated Mei Lan was born in Washington, DC. This is wrong. Mei Lan was born at Zoo Atlanta. The DC panda is Tai Shan.

Brown

Thanks to our readers who caught this one. We pulled the piece, corrected the information and re-posted it: GBU Editor

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Blizzard paralyzes U.S. mid-Atlantic; two killed

I just wanted to pass on my annoyance at your misleading headline this morning about the storm that hit the mid-Atlantic. The way your headline is written makes it sound as if two people froze to death, were buried/stranded under some type of hazardous snow drift, or saw their car slide on frozen roads into a bunch of others, etc.

I understand the news-grabbing impact that media outlets want to make, but as what I consider to be one of the most trusted and respected global wires in the world, you might want to put a little more thought into how you’re trying to draw in readers and/or convey the drama of a newsworthy situation.

Maggie

Sorry, I think the headline was valid. Our story explains that Virginia state police reported two people were killed when they were struck by a tractor-trailer after stopping to help a stranded motorist. That certainly counts as storm-related in my book.

As I sit here in DC surrounded by snow drifts taller than I am, I’d say the story is pretty newsworthy by itself, without needing to be hyped: GBU Editor

Snow falls on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol as a blizzard blankets Washington, February 6, 2010. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

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Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried star as lovers whose romance is curtailed by the September 11 attacks. It was directed by Swedish filmmaker Lasse Hallstrom and based on “The Notebook,” a novel by Nicholas Sparks.

Your article states that the movie Dear John is based on the novel The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. This is not correct. It is based on the novel Dear John by Nicholas Sparks. Just thought you should know.

Corrie S.

In the article it says that the movie Dear John is based Nicholas Sparks’ novel “The Notebook”. That’s not true. It’s based on his novel “Dear John”. “The Notebook” was already made into a movie in 2004.

Victoria

Dear John was based on the book Dear John, not the notebook .. =)

Emily H.

Dear John is based on the novel Dear John. The Notebook is based on the novel The Notebook. And now you know.

J.W.

Lots of readers wrote us about this one. Most of them were pretty polite about it: GBU Editor

Actress Amanda Seyfried poses at a fan event for the film “Jennifer’s Body” in Hollywood September 16, 2009. REUTERS/Fred Prouser

The high court is expected to issue a ruling within months on the law after appeals by convicted Alaskan legislator Bruce Weyhrauch and media baron Conrad Black. Former Enron Corp. executive Jeffrey Skilling’s case may also get a hearing.

There is a libelous error in this article.

There is a reference to “convicted Alaskan legislator Bruce Weyhrauch.” Mr. Weyhrauch has never been tried, much less convicted of any crime.

His trial was postponed pending judicial determination of the validity or scope of the statute he is alleged to have violated.

Funk

Yikes. Not our finest hour. This was the second correction we had to do on that story: GBU Editor

A pedestrian walks past the US Supreme Court building in Washington, December 8, 2009. The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear an appeal by former media baron Conrad Black and two ex-colleagues seeking to overturn their convictions for defrauding shareholders of one-time newspaper publishing giant Hollinger International Inc. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

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FROMELLES, France, Jan 30 (Reuters) – The first of 250 unknown British and Australian soldiers whose bodies were dumped by the Germans in mass graves in northern France during World War I was reburied on Saturday with full military honours.

Your story states that the bodies of the soldiers were ‘dumped’ by the Germans.

This, and what it implies, is incorrect. We know from the positions of the bodies in the mass graves that they were laid out with care, head to toe, and that although the graves had two layers of bodies in them the German troops had put soil between the layers.

All evidence points to them being buried with a degree of care, and that it was clear that it was ‘soldiers burying other soldiers’, rather than them being dumped.

Can you correct this?

Victoria Beacon
Defence PR and Events
Ministry of Defence

No offense was intended by our use of the word.

While it might be inelegant, we did not think “dumped” was necessarily out of place when talking about a double-decker mass grave: GBU Editor

France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy walks past Christian graves as he arrives for a ceremony in the Muslim section of Notre Dame de Lorette’s World War One military cemetery in Ablain Saint Nazaire, northern France, January 26, 2010. REUTERS/Gerard Cerles/Pool

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NEW YORK (Reuters.com) –The Obama administration’s plan to cut more than $1 trillion from the deficit over the next decade relies heavily on so-called backdoor tax increases that will result in a bigger tax bill for middle-class families.

Is it true that you removed a story last night that was critical of Obama’s new budget tax implications for the middle class because of pressure from the White House?

If so, shame on you! The American people require a national media that is impartial, free thinking and not beholden to any group, if we are to continue living as a free society. Most of our national media is in the back pocket of the liberal politicians, and we are being led down a path that we will come to regret, and will likely be the demise of our country. I place the blame for this on a mainstream press that pushes a certain political agenda, and intentionally ignores obvious hypocrisies and flaws in the liberal logic that is being presented.

You all need to get back in touch with true American values and principles that this country was built on and made this country great.

I’m certain that the great journalists in the past are weeping at the thought that independent journalism and criticism has fallen out of favor.

John K.

This story is filled with errors that truly offend any sense of even-handness, accuracy and diligence. The budget only rolls back the Bush tax cuts for those making over $200k in some instances and $250k in others. The rates for the tax brackets below that are not being rolled back, which is the whole underpinning of this story. What an embarrassing mistake. Also, calling the Estate Tax the Death Tax is straight from the conservative playbook.

C.M.

I was surprised and dismayed by the retraction of the article regarding back door tax increases. This smacks of a political agenda where this organization appears to suppress stories that do not conform with its goals. The government has may methods for disseminating its point of view and I’m fairly certain that it does not need your organization to vet stories to present the government in a flattering light.

Kevin G.

Why did you bow to the white house pressure to cancel your report on the back door tax increases included in obamas new budget?? you people obviously have no spine to let a socialist/marxist radical change our country to his radical revolutionary mission with unsustainable deficits without reporting it to the readers of your news organizations. I am so dissapointed in your weak decision to not allow the US taxpayer to understand that their taxes will increase that I am going to cancel my email subscription to reuters. I will also advise all my family and friends to do the same.

I read the story earlier this morning. I thought it was very well written and explained the details of hidden tax resets that will cost all Americans additional taxes in the coming years.

M.D.

This morning I read your article “Backdoor Taxes Hit Middle Class” and now find that the piece has been removed with a message that it will be updated or replaced later this week.
Why did you give in to the White House’s demand to scrap your article, “Backdoor taxes to hit middle class?” Did they threaten you? Regardless of your answer, your reputation has been compromised more than usual this time.

S.R.

I’m curious as to why the article “Backdoor taxes to hit middle class” was removed. I am a teacher and am trying to teach about the importance, impact, and processes of journalism and journalists, so this uncommon withdraw is a good topic to explore.
Your news organization is a joke and you wonder why your profession is losing credibility in the U.S and around the world. Further Reuters states there will be no follow up story.

It’s nice to know what was once considered a credible news organization is now taking its direction from the Obama administration. I am extremely disappointed in your caving in to the thought police and pulling one of the few stories I have seen from Reuters that actually tells THE TERUTH!! Your succumbing to seemingly Obama censorship is just appaling. This is just one more indication how we are rapidly becoming a banana republic of the north following Hugo Chavez and Castro governement role models. Reuters has no kahonas and is no better than MSNBC and all the other nut jobs in the Obama Media machine!!

Bill H.

Once Drudge highlights that you pulled a story reflecting badly on the Obama administration, don’t you kind of have to put it back? Where is your journalistic integrity? Do you want to become the next New York Times?

Q.J.

One of your writers had a very good article about the president’s new budget and how it will increase taxes on most Americans. It is my understanding that Reuters pulled the article after the White House complained. I can only imagine two scenarios that would cause you to pull the article; the article was not accurate, or Reuters is President Obama’s lapdog. Which is it?

Mike R.

So, you publish a story that tells the truth about who will be paying taxes in the world according to Obama. The WH gets mad and jumps down your throat. You then retract the story with a lame “later this week” comment.

You had better not allow your reputation to be tied to this administration. If I were you, I would put that story back in with every comma and period. Otherwise, there is no defense that will make more sense than paragraph 1.

My estimation, and the estimation of your independence, veracity, and trustworthiness to the people of the US is now within your hands. Whadda ya gonna do? Back down like a coward?

Bob K.

I see that you have caved in to Obama’s censorship of your story about his backdoor tax increases. Fuck you damn leftist media pukes.

J.B.

So are you guys being pressured by Democrats/Obama to pull article on back door tax increases. Shame on you. People need to know this administrations agenda
Paula

On what side of journalistic ethics does this fall? Was there legitimate concern that the article was inaccurate in some way or was there illegitimate concern on Washington’s part that the article was accurate in all ways?

I am a virtual founding member of the wave of Americans who are distrustful of our media. But, however prejudiced I may be, today’s event has an unpleasant odor.

Jim D.

I wanted to share the story with a co-worker and found that the story had been pulled. Please repost the article as it does all Americans, and Reuters, good to have the honest information out and available.

Carl A.

We got lots and lots and lots of reader feedback about this story, and have issued the following advisory:

ADVISORY: Backdoor taxes story

The Feb 1 story headlined “Backdoor taxes to hit middle class” is wrong and has been withdrawn. The story said lower-income families will pay more under tax provisions scheduled to expire Dec 31. The Obama administration’s budget calls for the extension of those tax provisions for households earning less than $250,000. There will be no substitute story.

GBU Editor

Record number of young Americans jobless

CHICAGO (Reuters) – The U.S. economic recession has taken a particularly heavy toll on young Americans, with a record one out five black men…

…wrote Andrew Sum of Northeastern University in Boston, a employment researcher…

Family income also had a influence on joblessness…

“If you included those in prison it would be a couple of points higher,” the report’s co-author Joseph McLaughlin of Northeastern.

This seems to be a trend in online reporting. It’s just sad.

Orchid

Four typos in one story. Not our finest editing job. We refiled a corrected version: GBU Editor

People wait in line looking for jobs during a Job Fair at the Miami Dade College in Miami, Florida March 4, 2009. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

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Um, it’s “Hanged”, executed, put to death, killed by hanging…never “Hung”! As John Cleese might have said, that would be “something completely different”!

A.W.

Of course. We did use “hanged” on most of our news feeds, but hung briefly showed up on one site until we fixed it: GBU Editor

Ali Hassan al-Majeed, cousin of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, listens to prosecution evidence during the “Anfal” genocide trial in Baghdad in a 2007 file photo. REUTERS/Darko Vojinovic/Pool/Files

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Regarding the Haiti benefit, I’m curious as to why you refer to Los Angeles as Los Angeles, California yet you refer to New York City, New York as simply New York and London, England as simply London?

I am offended at the notion that you feel people the world over are too stupid to know that Los Angeles is in California.

I absolutely hate the inference.  Thank you for ruining my quick glimpse into what is otherwise a heartwarming story in relief of a people so desperate for help.

As a lifelong Angeleno, I tell you that I despise your coverage and your insinuation of our inferiority to those places you hold in such high regard as those other cities and that I will do everything I can to further desist from accessing any of your coverage.

Signing off from Los Angeles, California,

J.M.
It is our style to let Los Angeles stand alone, without California, but now and then when you move the volume of photos we did of that event, it slips in.

I have to say,  if seeing California there actually “ruined” our coverage of that event in your eyes, you may have much bigger problems than inconsistent style guidelines.

BTW, I removed a number of misspellings and other serious typos from your e-mail before publishing it. You’re welcome: GBU Editor

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Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on Thursday said the Obama administration is committed to “reforms” of the GSEs, but said it would likely not be until 2011 until substantive changes are made.

This article: is so poorly written I don’t know what it’s about.

It jumps from Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac to executive compensation to GSEs. What the heck is a GSE?? Responsible journalism doesn’t use jargon, lingo, or esoteric phrases like this one. Absolutely no information is conveyed by this article.

I can do better. Hire me.

S.K.H.

GSEs – government-sponsored enterprises – are fairly well-recognized by those who follow the markets, but the abbreviation should only be used in a headline if there is no way around it.

More to the point, it was never even spelled out in this story, either. That should have been done in the lede: GBU Editor

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner testifies at a hearing before a Congressional Oversight Panel overseeing the expenditure of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) on Capitol Hill in Washington, December 10, 2009. REUTERS/Jim Young

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