The Tampa Bay Times deserves some major props for a newspaper correction over some honest yet painfully awkward naivety displayed by one of their reporters. The poor girl missed a Star Wars reference at Tampa’s Comic Con, inspiring the ire of fans. To make amends, the Times printed a correction filled with geeky humor and good fun.
The reporter in question is one Shelley Rossetter, who was dispatched to Tampa’s Comic Con to do a piece on a speed dating event at the convention. Rossetter horrified fans when she missed a reference to the Star Wars film franchise dropped by the moderator.
The moderator said: “Are you ready to find love in Alderaan places?”
What she quoted the moderator as saying : “Are you ready to find love in all the wrong places?”
Ouch.
After some fan outcry, the Times printed a correction , in which they admitted that Rossetter was simply “not strong in the ways of the Force,” adding, “Regret the error, we do.”
“In a story on Sunday about a speed dating event at Tampa Bay Comic Con, a Tampa Bay Times reporter not strong in the ways of the Force (or Star Wars lore) quoted moderator Croix Provence as asking, “Are you ready to find love in all the wrong places?”
“What Provence actually asked was, “Are you ready to find love in Alderaan places?” She was referring to Princess Leia Organa’s home world, which appeared briefly in the 1977 film.
“Regret the error, we do.”
You don’t need me to tell you that this correction inspired all kinds of nerd joy, do you? Other publications picked up on the correction, applauding the Times for their wit and good humored self-awareness.
“That’s how you own it. That’s how it’s done. That’s Jedi stuff right there ,” wrote Slade Sohmer of HyperVocal .
We have to hand it to the Times , as well. The Force is strong with them.
[Image via: Eva Rinaldi , Wikimedia Commons]
