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Reader reaction to Reuters news

September 30th, 2009

Polanski’s legal status…

Posted by: Robert Basler

Anger in France and Poland after Polanski arrest

Artists and film makers also urged the release of Polanski, who faces charges of having sex with a girl of 13 in 1977, accusing Switzerland of being overzealous in pursuing such an old case and bowing to U.S. demands.

In an article on PolanskI, you say he faces charges of having sex with a girl of 13.

“Faces charges?” HE ALREADY PLEAD GUILTY TO HAVING UNLAWFUL SEX WITH AN UNDER-AGED PERSON.

He’s not facing charges, he’s facing prison time. Can you actually put out a story that tells the truth and gives truthful background?

S.B.

Several readers pointed this out to us. Our subsequent stories on Polanski made his correct status clear: GBU Editor

Polish-born film director Roman Polanski  awaits a public talk in Potsdam February 19, 2009. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

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September 28th, 2009

Unfortunate typo…

Posted by: Robert Basler

Klitschko retains WBC title with Arreola victory

He then burst into teats and apologized to his hometown crowd, who had cheered wildly for him throughout the fight.

Omigosh, he burst into “teats”? Might be time for a gender test on Arreola.

Chris

Why couldn’t it have been any other incorrect letter? We corrected: GBU Editor

Vitali Klitschko of Ukraine holds up his fist to the crowd after defeating Cristobal Arreola of the U.S. in the WBC heavyweight title bout in Los Angeles, September 26, 2009. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok

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September 25th, 2009

Buried near a what?

Posted by: Robert Basler

Archaeologists find suspected Trojan war-era couple

“If the remains are confirmed to be from 1,200 B.C. it would coincide with the Trojan war period. These people were buried near a mote. We are conducting radiocarbon testing, but the finding is electrifying,” Pernicka told Reuters in a telephone interview.

I think It should be “moat.”

K.G.

Several readers noticed this one. We corrected: GBU Editor

An undated handout picture shows the remains of a man and a woman believed to have died in 1,200 B.C. in the ancient city of Troy in northwestern Turkey. REUTERS/Project Troy/Handout

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September 24th, 2009

Obama at U.N.

Posted by: Robert Basler

U.S. does not see settlement building as legitimate

Separately, Obama also said that the United States would now allow al Qaeda to launch attacks from safe havens in Afghanistan or any nation.

I think it should read, “the United States would NOT allow.”

James

Yes. We corrected: GBU Editor

U.S. President Barack Obama addresses the 64th United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters in New York September 23, 2009.     REUTERS/Mike Segar

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September 23rd, 2009

Old story reappears

Posted by: Robert Basler

McChrystal tries to calm Afghans after air strike

Mon Sep 21, 2009 5:31pm EDT

YAQOUBI, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan flew on Saturday to the scene of a deadly air strike by his forces, trying to cool anger that threatens his strategy of winning hearts and minds.

Afghan officials say scores of people were killed, many of them civilians, when a U.S. F-15 fighter jet called in by German troops struck two hijacked fuel trucks before dawn on Friday

Didn’t this airstrike happen some weeks ago?

Read the article…it implies it happened Friday. How irresponsible! Talk about stoking the flames!

Print an explanation immediately.

David D.

In posting some Afghan sidebar material on reuters.com, this old story inadvertently was re-posted. We removed the story, and posted an advisory for readers: GBU Editor

Afghan villagers pray over the graves of their relatives, who died in Friday’s air strike, near their village of Yaqoubi in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz September 5, 2009. REUTERS/Wahdat

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September 18th, 2009

Repost the story?

Posted by: Robert Basler

Gelbart’s colleagues remember “master of masters”

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – The classic series “M*A*S*H,” the hit movie comedy “Tootsie” and the Tony-winning play “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” are part of the enduring legacy that writer Larry Gelbart left behind when he died September 11 at age 81.

“He was the single funniest human being I’ve ever known as far as being able to make a quip, a repost and make you laugh without using a straight line,” said Carl Reiner…

This article is poorly written, which is a shame since, ironically, it is about a great writer.

For example, it speaks of the “legacy” that Gelbart “left behind” which is redundant. Even worse, it uses “repost” instead of “riposte” as a term for comic rebuttal.

R.K.S.

Ouch. Ouch: GBU Editor

Writer Larry Gelbart accepts the Impact award during the taping of the 7th annual TV Land Awards in Los Angeles, April 19, 2009 file photo. REUTERS/Fred Prouser/Files

September 18th, 2009

A dry cough…

Posted by: Robert Basler

Your shower may be blasting you with germs: study

Mycobacterium avium is linked to pulmonary disease, causing symptoms such as a persistent drug cough, breathlessness and fatigue, and most often infects people with compromised immune system but can occasionally infect healthy people.

Your article uses the phrase “persistent drug cough” but I think you mean it to read “persistent dry cough.”

David M.

Yes. We corrected: GBU Editor

Festival-goers shower at the Paleo music festival in Nyon, Switzerland, July 24, 2009. REUTERS/Valentin Flauraud

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September 15th, 2009

The game was scoreless, 7-7…

Posted by: Robert Basler

Super Bowl champs Steelers get winning start

The opening game of the new NFL season was a grueling physical battle and stood scoreless at halftime after normally reliable Titans kicker Rob Bironas missed one field goal and had another blocked.

Was anyone from Reuters really at the game?? Or perhaps they had a few too many Iron City Beers. :)

Your story says the game stood scoreless at halftime. Unless I was in a stupor here in Baghdad, those amazing drives you describe as happening in the third quarter actually happened at the end of the second quarter. The score at halftime was 7 - 7.

Tell your reporter we expect his reporting of the NFL to improve by the time the Steelers visit Miami on 7 February.  As for your editor…no one by the name of Ian should be editing an article on the NFL…stick to F1 and the Premier League. :)

Matthew H.

I don’t quite understand how something like this happens, but we corrected it: GBU Editor

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger watches game action from the sidelines during the second quarter of their NFL football game against Tennessee Titans in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 10, 2009. REUTERS/Jason Cohn

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September 14th, 2009

Who invaded whom?

Posted by: Robert Basler

New York’s September 11 museum to play martyrdom tapes

But former New York Governor George Pataki canceled the Freedom Center after critics, including survivors and relatives of the nearly 3,000 who died, said the museum should instead be dedicated exclusively to the day known as 9/11 and the 1993 truck bombing of the World Trace Center.

As an example of what will be included, Daniels said the 1979 invasion of the Soviet Union by Afghanistan was vital in understanding “the roots of Al Qaeda.”

I would expect better editing that this:
1) “…World Trace Center.”
2) “…Daniels said the 1979 invasion of the Soviet Union by Afghanistan…”

Wentzel

So, the big bully Afghanistan invaded the poor little Soviet Union, and we’ve had nothing but trouble ever since. How about a recasting as: “. . . the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan by the Soviet Union…?

Joseph S.

Since when did Afghanistan invade the Soviet Union in ‘79?

Mr. Mac

This was a very troubled story. We had to withdraw the original version, and then go back in with another correction. Not our finest hour: GBU Editor

Afghan children in the Panjsher valley December 9 play on a gutted Russian tank which was destroyed by mujahideen guerrillas during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1978. REUTERS/Sayed Salahuddin

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September 8th, 2009

That’s not how you say it…

Posted by: Robert Basler

His name is pronounced Ben-mow-SHAY, not Ben-mosh.

Chatty

Several readers pointed this out to us. We subsequently redid the narration to get the name right: GBU Editor

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