Media Monday: How to correct a Tweet

The media is having a frenzy over Twitter correction ethics after false tweets reporting Rep. Gabrielle Giffords had died, when in fact she had not. Twitter moves fast and big news can be re-tweeted hundreds of times over quickly.


Regret the Error has a rundown of the false posts and aftermath.

The main concerns:

• Is it ethical to delete a false tweet? 
• How do you properly correct a false tweet?
• How do you minimize the impact of re-tweeting? 

Craig Silverman wrote an excellent article on Columbia Journalism Review on the subject suggesting Twitter come up with a correction function in which you could direct messages anyone who re-tweets an incorrect post.


Damon Kiesow on Poynter suggests a strikeout option. His article end with a video chat on the issue.