New shows in the works from “Idol” creator Fuller

The 2007 finale was seen by more than 33 million viewers, according to Nielsen, and more than 74 million people voted for winner Jordin Sparks. (In comparison, President George Bush got 62 million votes in the 2004 election, according to the Office of the Federal Register.)

Your story contains a glaring error that misleads readers into believing that more Americans voted for American Idol’s Jordin Sparks in last season’s finale than voted for President Bush. This is flatly wrong. Idol claims 74 million VOTES, not PEOPLE who voted. This is irresponsible reporting at its worst. 

Karl

Is it really necessary to inject that Sparks apparently outvoted George Bush in the number of millions of votes? Can they even be compared? On the one hand, you have registered voters who can only vote once in the presidential election. On the other hand, you have millions of teeny boppers who stay up all night pressing the redial button. They are hardly apples to apples comparison, and frankly, what a lousy editorial decision.

Donna F.

This was not from a Reuters story, but was indeed in a Billboard story that moved as part of a Reuters news product. Several readers questioned the comparison, and they were right. We corrected the story to make clear the figure was for votes, not voters, and we removed the Bush reference: GBU Editor.

REUTERS photo by Fred Prouser

There is a reuters photo of Obama circulating that includes a background picture with the “Change” banner cropped down to “Hang”.

Some people may find this quite offensive and would have a very hard time believing this was just an honest mistake. Really looks like it was done on purpose, or there is no editing staff whatsoever. Please remove it.

B.R.S.

We have deleted the photo, which was cropped for an online product by an editor who didn’t notice the unfortunate word the editing left behind. We had no possible reason to do this on purpose. GBU Editor

Obama’s wife joins push to court US working class  

But she has stirred controversy, such as when she said in February: “For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country.” Critics said the comment sounded unpatriotic and suggested she had not been proud of her country before her husband’s candidacy.

Is it nomral Reuters standard to misquote important people, when the misquote amounts to slander?

Your writer left out the work REALLY from her quote “For the first time in my adult lifetime I am really proud of my country”.

Leave the quote accurate, and the quote states that this is the first time she has been really proud, or extra proud, AND implies that in the past she had been just proud. How dare you!!

Tom

Several readers disputed our version of this quote. Our story is accurate. She said it both ways,  as you can see here: GBU Editor 

REUTERS photo by Jeff Haynes

I  don’t believe this event was held at the White House, was it?…

A Washingtonian

You’re right. We had plenty of journalists at the thing, so this was a bit embarrassing. We corrected: GBU Editor

REUTERS photo by Jonathan Ernst  

Alaska’s 1st female governor gives birth to son

ANCHORAGE, Alabama (Reuters) - Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin gave birth to a baby boy early on Friday, becoming the second U.S. governor to have a baby while serving in office.

Great atricle today on Governor Palin. That is of course, with the exception of opening the piece up with a preschool mistake. Might I suggest a small gift of a U.S. States for Dummies book for the author?

Thank you, I still enjoy your news service, over any other.

Len H.

This was a sad combination of human and technical error. I’m happy to say that at no point did any human being here really think Anchorage is in Alabama, so no thank you on the book idea. We corrected, but not before people noticed: GBU Editor

 (Photo Handout)

Young Pennsylvania voters take a shine to Obama

I think a news headline about taking a “shine” to a man of color is considered in poor taste, at best.

Mark S.

Please reseach Black folklore and historical use of the term “Shine” that your use in the same sentence with Sen Obama. I think you will find it, if not inappropriate, at least a pretty odd choice of words.

Tony R. Several readers pointed this out to us. There are vast numbers of people who do not know the slang meaning of the word: “Disparaging and offensive. A black person.”

When our editors became aware of it, the headline was changed: GBU Editor

REUTERS photo by Tim Shaffer

Please quit promoting John McCain. Your bias toward him and Republicans is clear. There is no need to frame it in an “article” that is a McCain promotion.

I read Reuters because it seemed to report the financial and economic news in an unbiased way. What happened?

C.R.D.

Can you at least make some effort to hide the Democratic slant of your website?

Internet Lawyer

Thanks for your respective comments. Maybe you should talk to each other. Your e-mails arrived five minutes apart: GBU Editor 

Obama: REUTERS photo by Tim Shaffer

McCain: REUTERS photo by Philippe Wojazer

U.S Democratic race over? Clinton doesn’t think so

WASHINGTON, March 27 (Reuters) - Somebody forgot to tell Hillary Clinton the Democratic presidential race is over and Barack Obama won.

Clearly you need to correct the opening of your article. When last I checked, there were ten states that haven’t yet voted for a candidate. A presidential race is “over” when either a candidate has dropped out of the race, a candidate has earned the required delegates to claim the nomination and halt the race, or all  states have voted, and the candidate with the most delegates has won. Thank you for your commitment to the facts.

Tara O. From everything I’ve heard Reuters is supposed to be a news organization and not a tabloid. Journalists, who work for news organizations are supposed to report on facts. Yet this article seems to be tabloid material or propaganda. R.W.

Several readers wrote to object to the lead of this story: GBU Editor

REUTERS photo by Jason Cohn 

China seeks to contain ongong Tibet unrest

I believe this is meant to be “ongoing”.

Hattie

Yes. Several readers caught this one. We corrected: GBU Editor

REUTERS photo by Rupak De Chowdhuri

Detroit’s Democratic mayor indicted in sex scandal  

The controversy surrounding the black politician once seen as a rising star in his party has deadlocked city government and become a distraction to the Democratic Party as it struggles with the issue of how to handle Michigan delegates still being contested by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. 

Please help me understand the relevance of stating that he is a “black politician.” Why did the writer feel the mayor’s race needed to be used to describe him and what does his race have to do with the charges that he is facing? I have yet to hear of Eliot Spitzer being described as the white politician when anything is written or said about the sex scandal he was involved in.I count on Reuters for unbiased, factual reporting of the news. Can I no longer expect this without racial undertones such as this being thrown in as well?

Kate

His race has absolutely nothing to do with what is being said about him. If he had been a white politician in the same exact situation would this reporter have said, “the white politician…”? Sometimes race is relevant to a story. It seems discriminatory to note it when there is no relevance. It contributes to the perception that black people are black people while white people are people. It also suggests that his race had something to do with his alleged transgressions. 

Craig

A number of readers raised this point. The story should have made clear from the start why his race was mentioned.  Subsequent updates included this elaboration: “I’m deeply disappointed in the prosecutor’s decision,” said Kilpatrick, who earlier compared his critics to a “lynch mob” and said he had been subjected to racial epithets since the scandal broke. GBU Editor

REUTERS photo by Rebecca Cook