News Media
“A Mistake Made in Haste”
I have spoken briefly with New York Times reporter Elisabeth Bumiller who penned the story today that included a misquote attributed to CSC director Stephen Meyer that he welcomed Bush’s statement on intelligent design as promoting “free speech on BIBLICAL origins,” when he actually said “biological origins.”
She apologized for the error saying it was “nothing more than a mistake made in haste” and has assured us that the Times will run a correction in the print edition tomorrow. In explanation she indicated that she’d taken notes very quickly in shorthand and later under deadline pressure from editors inadvertently substituted “biblical” for “biological.”
Whether it’s a Freudian slip or not it is likely to be a comment that grows into an urban myth. So, it is with relief that we see the reporter and the paper taking steps to quickly correct the mistake.