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Friday, April 27, 2007

We regret the error....

We made a mistake last night in our piece about Andrea Yates, the Texas woman who infamously drowned her children and who then became the center of a very high-profile trial. Our piece last night was part of a number of pieces we did looking at questions that emerged following the Virginia Tech murder spree. In our story about the Yates case, we erroneously reported that forensic psychiatrist Park Dietz "lied" on the stand, leading to an appeal and a new trial for Yates.

While an Appeals Court later concluded Dr. Dietz gave "false testimony" during the trial, the court also noted that "the record did not show Dr. Dietz intentionally lied."

CNN and "360" regret the error.

-- By David Doss, "360" Executive Producer

Posted By CNN: 12:49 PM ET
11 Comments

Mr. Doss,

Look we all make mistakes. We are human. Thanks for having the valor to address the issue and listen to your viewer's feedback.

Yes, we saw this last night and my husband and I questioned this too but because we are not attorneys and did not know the facts we didn't comment.

Dr. Dietz has been on the show and has provided lively and interesting discussions on this stalker topic so we have been trying to give him a second chance. His comments on 360 in our opinion have been right on.

Your show is appealing because we believe that you all are geniune, hardworking and are just trying to do your best.

Have an awesome weekend and enjoy some fun. We will.

Posted By

Renee Bradenton, FL : 1:14 PM ET

Just a note of thanks to Mr. Cooper and the entire AC360 team for an incredible week of reporting! I have enjoyed every aspect of the show, from the very somber to the light-hearted moments. The "Stop Snitching" segments were extremely interesting, yet disturbing. Thank you for bringing this issue to the forefront. Keep up the great work, and stay safe!

Posted By

Kim, Dayton, Ohio : 1:16 PM ET

Hi David,
That is very humble (not to mention good business) for 360 and CNN to admit fault.
I cringe every time one of these "crazy" stories is from Texas, and there seems to be a lot of them. Honest to God, there are good things that happen here too!
Thanks again for the "confession". I am constantly having to admit MY mistakes. you made me feel better!
Have a great week~end David. If any of you are bored, head on down to east Texas. It is GEORGOUS this time of year, the people are nice, and it's not difficult to find a fiesta!

Posted By

Betty Ann, Nacogdoches,TX : 1:18 PM ET

This entire story is so sad. Even if she was mentally sick, I don't feel sorry for her in any way... she should have gotten help before she killed her children. How can anyone kill a child?

Posted By

Amanda- Waterville, Ohio : 3:01 PM ET

I think this is a case where it is very important for journalists to ensure that what is being reported is fact. Most people do not have time to do background research to find out if what is said on the news is true. It is assumed that the media does their job properly. Mistakes will always be made, and it is good to apologize when they happen. I applaud 360 for correcting this error.

This seems to be a minor detail in the overall case in question, but it points to a larger problem. The print, television and radio media put news out to people and many cases are "front page news". When something is erroneously said, it is rarely retracted with the same vigor in which it was originally published or reported.

For example a front page article in a newspaper that has errors, is usually corrected later on page ten. Far less people will find out about the errors as those who heard the original story. Journalists need to be extremely careful about what they say and write.

Posted By

Nestor, Austin, TX : 4:26 PM ET

It's good to see 360 correcting mistakes. Of course I hope you have Anderson give it a mention on the show tonight too because most viewers don't read the blog.

Posted By

Stacy, St. Louis, MO : 4:31 PM ET

Sometimes, no matter how much we check and recheck, things do slip through. I've never known CNN not to admit to errors made and offer an apology. Actually I didn't even know differently, guess there is a difference in "lying" and in telling something that is "untrue".

I agree about the quality of the show lately. Looks as if it's finally starting to gel. Expect more attention from rival stations!

Thanks for the hard work, all!

Posted By

Maggie, Grain Valley, MO : 4:37 PM ET

Hey David,

You, Anderson and the entire 360 team already have my respect and my undivided attention.

This post is one HUGE example why.

Keep up the honest, fair and untouchable reporting that you all do. It matters a great deal.

All The Best to the 360 gang.

Posted By

Pati McMillan, Camp Hill. PA : 5:19 PM ET

Hi David,
Apology accepted. Keep up the good work! Excellent shows this week. Have a good weekend!

Posted By

Pamina, Pittsford, NY : 7:52 PM ET

Hey David,
Thank you for taking the time to apologize to your viewers. But mistakes happen,we are human. The important thing was to correct it because the man's integrity was on the line. And yes, have Anderson mention it(I'm sure you will without us telling you)for those not reading the blog.

Good night

Joanne R.
Laval Quebec

Posted By

Joanne R.Laval Quebec : 8:09 PM ET

Thank you for bringing up the error on AC360 tonight....yet another reason why the show has many loyal viewers. We can always count on AC360 to present all views while attempting to verify the truth. We appreciate your honesty when the report rarely goes array. Keep up the great reporting!

Posted By

Kim, Dayton, Ohio : 10:55 PM ET

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