Correcting mistakes

Every now and then, I make mistakes.

Newspaper people are fallible, just like the rest of humanity, but we are held to a higher standard than the majority of the population—for good reason.

When we make mistakes at the newspaper, I take it very seriously and sometimes I take it personally, agonizing over it into the wee hours of the morning. Sometimes it feels like I failed at my job. And nobody likes that feeling.

In the Feb. 2 newspaper an opinion column ran that contained inaccurate information about First Best Place’s taxes. The columnist who made the mistake is normally very accurate and so the mistake slipped by my attention.

Let’s just say I learned my lesson about fact checking and conducting due diligence, which can get lost in the shuffle at a small newspaper with a tiny staff. Deadlines seem to roll over us like steamrollers and feeling overwhelmed is a constant part of our jobs. We thrive on those deadlines and we’re haunted by them.

By publishing the inaccurate information, we put First Best Place in the uncomfortable position of having to explain its finances to current and potential investors. The newspaper moved to correct the error in the Feb. 9 edition, hoping that the task force wouldn’t struggle in the future for funding (which so far has been entirely donor-based).

On behalf of the Hungry Horse News, I would like to apologize for publishing incorrect information about First Best Place’s taxes in the opinion piece in the Feb. 2 edition. I believe that First Best Place is a positive organization helping rejuvenate our community.

Meeting with First Best Place board members to discuss the situation was a learning opportunity for me and renewed my belief that the purpose of a newspaper like this one is to serve its community and that’s a goal I strive toward daily.