Thread by @JoekillianPW

Had some early Sunday morning thoughts on errors, corrections, conflict, resolution, faith and journalism.

This is applicable to #UNC and the #NikoleHannahJones story, of course. But honestly, these are things I think about as a reporter all the time -- and have for many years.

We all, whatever we do, make errors.

I struggle with them as much as anyone. But I come to them with what I consider two enormous advantages:

1) I was raised by Southern Women, the Catholic Church and the United States Marine Corps.

2) I'm a professional journalist.

Let's take these one at a time.

What my mother, a Southern woman, taught me about making errors: It's inevitable. If you can laugh at it, laugh at it. If it's more serious than that, correct it and make restitution early. If you can do both, you're golden.

What my father, a career Marine, taught me about making errors: Honor, courage and commitment are important even (perhaps especially) when you are falling on your face. Lead from the front, even if you're leading in acknowledging and a correcting your own error.

What Catholicism taught me about addressing errors (and could stand to remember itself, more often): Honestly examine your failings, be sincere in your regret, confess fully, resolve to amend and not repeat your behavior, do penance/offer restitution.

Important for me to say that I no longer consider myself religious. But I was raised Catholic, went to Catholic school at an early age, and have to admit the culture of Catholicism is still very much a part of my character.

Like good luggage and bad VD, you keep it forever.

What newsrooms taught me about errors: You're going to make them. What you do about them shows people what sort of reporter you are. And that determines everything else.

I've never been a reporter who fought people on corrections. Someone not liking what you've written? That's a different thing. But no one's ever had to fight me on correcting an error of fact or a reasonable clarification if something's unclear.

This has occasionally brought me into conflict with the odd editor who thought it was more important not to be seen to have corrections than to correct things as needed. Those editors were usually terrible about this as reporters as well.

I once had an argument with an editor who told me they didn't understand why I was so insistent on making corrections. Even if no one complained. Even if I simply caught some small error myself. Why this self-flagellating penance, they asked?

There was a disconnect between us inherent in the question.

In my religious cultural tradition, penance isn't as simple as self-punishment. It's a sacrament.

Most protestants are taught salvation comes through faith alone.

As a young Catholic, I was taught faith is necessary but not sufficient. Your faith - and your salvation - has to be evident in your action, in works.

"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”

- James 2:20

I learned scripture via the King James Bible, but there are so many modern translations I feel sure "O vain man" has at some point been rendered as "reporter."

If not, it's a missed opportunity.

"For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief."

- Proverbs 24:16

Confirmation, if you needed it, that there are worse things than typos.

In my observation, and I think most honest people would have to agree, the UNC System and UNC Chapel Hill would benefit from the basics I was taught as a kid about how and why confession works:

Examination. Sincere regret. Full confession. Amended behavior. Restitution.

Those central tenets - call them "core values," for the hell of it - are also what I was taught by good reporters and editors about the steps to correcting errors made in newspapers.

It's easy for large institutions, be they university systems or media organizations, to be long on regret but short on amended behavior. To embrace confession but omit restitution.

We're none of us perfect. But we can and should be better.

As Ben Bradlee used to remind daily newspaper reporters: "Our best today, better tomorrow."

Amen.

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