Executives at CNN and CNN.com sent memos to staff yesterday, promising investigations into exactly what happened when the network incorrectly reported that the Supreme Court had struck down the individual mandate in President Obama’s healthcare bill.
The Washington Post has the memo from CNN DC bureau chief Sam Feist, who told staff:
Today we failed to adhere to our own standard, namely it’s better to be right than to be first. We take mistakes seriously, especially mistakes on such important stories. We are looking into exactly what happened and we will learn from it.
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Feist went on to note that the network corrected itself on every platform, and that its coverage after 10:20 was of an extremely high quality.
Poynter has the memo from CNN Digital managing editor and VP Meredith Artley, who said:
There are a lot of tweets, posts and pieces out there about our mistake. And more will come. Stay strong. This is the organization that has exposed and righted wrongs, that has brought knowledge and freedom to people worldwide. We made a mistake, as people and organizations sometimes do, and we swiftly and clearly corrected it.