correction-notice-writer

Correction Notice Writer

What This Skill Does

Drafts a formal, publication-ready correction notice for a previously published article, following accepted journalistic standards for transparency, precision, and tone.

When To Use This Skill

• An error in a published article has been confirmed — a wrong figure, a misspelled name, a misattributed quote, an incorrect date
• Your editor has signed off on the correction and needs a final notice paragraph for the live page
• You need to issue a correction that is factual and neutral without drawing more attention to the error than necessary
• A subject has contacted your publication with a documented factual complaint and the complaint has been verified

What You Need To Provide

Required:

• The article headline and publication date
• A precise description of what was wrong (the original, erroneous text)
• The correct information that should replace it
• Where in the article the error appeared (paragraph, caption, headline, etc.)

Optional:

• Whether this is a correction, a clarification, or an editor's note (different editorial weight)
• Your publication's house style for correction notices (e.g., whether the word "Correction" appears in bold, whether the date of correction is included)
• Any additional context the reader needs to understand why the original statement was wrong

How the Assistant Approaches This

1. Identifies the nature of the error — factual, typographical, attributional, or contextual — and chooses the appropriate correction register (correction vs. clarification vs. editor's note)
2. Drafts a notice that states the error plainly, provides the accurate information, and does not speculate about cause or assign blame
3. Applies a neutral, professional tone that protects the publication's credibility without being defensive or dismissive
4. Formats the notice as a self-contained paragraph that can be appended to the top or bottom of the original article, or published as a standalone item

Output Format

One to three sentences. The notice begins with the type of notice ("Correction:", "Clarification:", or "Editor's Note:") in bold if standard journalistic practice is followed. It states what appeared in the original article, what the correct information is, and — if needed — when the article was updated. No apology language unless the publication's style requires it. No passive voice to obscure what was wrong. Language is plain English, accessible to a general reader.

Quality Criteria

• The error is described accurately and without ambiguity — a reader who did not see the original article can understand what changed
• The correct information is stated explicitly, not implied
• The notice does not over-explain, speculate, or editorialize about the cause of the error
• Tone is professional and neutral — neither defensive nor excessively apologetic
• The notice is short enough to be read in under 20 seconds

Example

Input

Article headline: "City Council Approves $4.2 Million Budget for Riverside Park Renovation" Publication date: 14 March 2026 Error: The article stated that the vote passed 7–2. The actual vote was 6–3. Location of error: Third paragraph, first sentence. Notice type: Correction House style: Begin with "Correction:" in bold, include the date the correction was made.

Output

Correction, 17 March 2026: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the city council approved the Riverside Park renovation budget by a vote of 7–2. The vote was 6–3. The article has been updated.

Known Limitations

• This skill produces the notice text only — it does not update the original article body, add strike-through formatting, or file the correction in a CMS. Those steps remain with the editor.
• For corrections involving legal risk (defamation, pending litigation), the notice should be reviewed by legal counsel before publication. This skill does not provide legal advice.
• If the original error was in a headline or subheading, the notice may need to call that out explicitly — provide the location clearly in your input or the assistant may default to assuming the error was in the article body.

Related Skills

• data-corrections-writer
• fact-check-prompt
• defamation-risk-checker