Last Wednesday I opened up the paper to do a quick glance at the pages, as is my habit.
My heart sank. The Editorial/Opinion page was not correct. It was a repeat of page two from Sept. 16, not the page for Sept. 23.
During the 44 years I have worked in newspapers I have made some mistakes, and others who have work for me mess up from time to time.
Last week’s mistake took the cake, and I have no one to blame but myself.
I remember my first big mistake. It was a headline for an advertisement in 140-point Helvetica type — about one-and-a-half inches tall — in all caps. Spelled wrong was the word extravaganza. The advertiser missed the mistake on the proof, along with at least eight other people who would have seen the ad before it was printed.
Everyone makes mistakes. The difference is that when your mistake is on the printed page, it is permanent. You cannot hide it. It cannot be ignored. It doesn’t go away. There is nothing left to do except take a deep breath and start working on the next paper.
If you would like to read my column from last week, along with Robin Garrison’s and Paul Hamby’s, turn to page 18.
Dennis Warden, Publisher
