Trust, Risk, and Regulated Communication

Correction Notice

Tell readers what was wrong, what changed, when it changed, why it matters, whether conclusions were affected, and where corrected material now appears.

Free editable Markdown · Editors, publishers, and communications teams · Updated July 30, 2026

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Error assessment

Content title and URL: [Affected item]
Original publication/version: [Date and ID]
Error location: [Heading, paragraph, chart, caption, other]
Incorrect wording/value: [Minimum necessary detail]
Why inaccurate: [Verified explanation]
Correct source: [Authoritative record]
Potential impact: [Understanding, action, reputation, safety, other]
Required remedy: [Correction, clarification, update, removal, retraction]
Decision owner: [Editor/qualified reviewer]

Public notice draft

Correction date: [YYYY-MM-DD and time zone if needed]
What was wrong: [Specific statement]
What is correct: [Accurate statement]
What changed: [Text, figure, image, conclusion, other]
Effect on conclusions: [Material change, limited change, no change with reason]
Additional detail: [Link if needed]
Contact route: [Corrections or support channel]

Completion checks

Original and corrected facts are verified.
Notice is specific without repeating harmful material unnecessarily.
Impact on headline and conclusion is assessed honestly.
Metadata, charts, files, social, email, syndication, and locales are checked.
Correction appears according to the publication's policy.
Affected parties or downstream publishers are considered.
Live changes and notice are verified.
Root-cause and prevention actions are assigned.

How to use this template

Verify the original error, corrected fact, source, affected versions, and potential harm.
Decide correction, clarification, update, removal, or retraction through the responsible policy.
Draft exact old issue, new record, timing, and impact on conclusions.
Correct every owned derivative surface and notify affected downstream users where appropriate.
Publish, verify, preserve the audit trail, and assign prevention work.

State the error specifically

Name the affected article, section, claim, figure, image, quotation, or date and explain what was inaccurate. Quote only the minimum old wording needed for clarity. Avoid “an earlier version contained an error” when readers cannot tell what changed. Do not repeat defamatory, private, or dangerous misinformation unnecessarily. Record when the original was published, when the correction was made, and which version or surfaces were affected.

Explain the corrected record and impact

Provide the accurate wording and its authoritative support. State whether the correction changes a headline, calculation, interpretation, recommendation, chart, conclusion, or no substantive conclusion. Review every derivative surface: metadata, social post, newsletter, syndication, translation, caption, downloadable file, data export, and cached copy under your control. If the central premise fails or content should not remain available, escalate to the appropriate retraction or removal process rather than minimizing it as a correction.

Make the notice findable and durable

Place the notice according to policy, close enough that readers of the current content understand the history. Preserve timestamps and link to further detail when a complex correction needs a full editor's note. Notify directly affected people or downstream publishers where appropriate. Record who reported, investigated, approved, implemented, and verified the change internally. Use the cause to improve source review, calculation, component, or release checks.

See the fields in context

Fictional example: workshop attendance figure

Lantern Hall and every figure are invented to demonstrate a correction notice.

Error: A fictional article reported 620 attendees after a spreadsheet total included 120 duplicate registrations.
Correction: The verified fictional count is 500 registrations; the notice states the source and correction date.
Impact: A percentage and chart are recalculated, but a qualitative conclusion about session capacity is reviewed separately.
Propagation: Correct webpage, chart alt text, newsletter archive, translated summary, and downloadable PDF.
Prevention: Add duplicate-key review and independent number verification before future publication.

Frequently asked questions

Is a typo always a correction notice?

Follow policy. A harmless typographical fix may not require a public notice, while a typo changing a name, number, date, or meaning often does.

What is the difference between a correction and an update?

A correction fixes inaccurate published material. An update adds later information to content that was accurate at publication. Label each honestly.

Should the original wording remain visible?

Follow your policy and risk assessment. Preserve the internal audit record, while public notices should give enough detail without unnecessarily amplifying harm.

When is retraction more appropriate?

Escalate when the central evidence or premise is unreliable, harm cannot be corrected in place, or policy requires removal or retraction.