Corrections and complaints
How to tell us we got something wrong, and what we do about it.
We will get things wrong. What matters is what happens next: whether the reader who spotted it can reach us easily, whether we fix it quickly, and whether the record shows honestly that it was fixed.
Telling us about an error
Write to the newsroom at the address on this page. Please include the headline or the link, what you believe is wrong, and — if you have it — the source that shows the correct version. You do not need to be the subject of the story to ask for a correction.
We aim to acknowledge every message within two working days, and to resolve a straightforward factual error within five. Something that needs us to go back to a source or a document may take longer; if it does, we will tell you that rather than leave you waiting.
What we do, and what we call it
We use three labels, and they mean different things:
- Correction — a fact in the article was wrong. We fix the text and add a note at the foot of the article saying what was wrong and when it was fixed.
- Clarification — the facts were right but the wording could reasonably be read the wrong way. We rewrite the passage and note the change.
- Retraction — the story should not have been published. We say so at the top of the article, explain why, and leave the note there permanently.
We do not quietly rewrite
Once an article is published, it is on the record. We do not change a fact and pretend the old version never existed. Typos and broken links we fix silently; anything that changes what the article says gets a dated note.
We do not delete articles to make an error disappear. In the rare case where a page has to come down — a legal order, a genuine risk to someone's safety — the address keeps working and explains that the article was removed.
If you are not satisfied
If you have raised something with us and you do not think we handled it properly, say so in writing and ask for it to be reviewed by the editor. Tell us what outcome you are looking for. We would much rather settle it here than have you conclude that nobody was listening.