New York Times publishes pre-written Brexit story with 2 different vote results

by Sydney Smith March 25, 2019 08:35 PM EST

Tags: Brexit, England, Errors, Fact Checking, New York Times, U.S.

(Credit: NYTimes)

The New York Times published a news story on this month’s Brexit vote but included pre-written text that clearly the editors forgot to delete. The Times article included two sections — one saying the plan was rejected and one saying it was accepted.

News outlets often prepare pre-written text for important news stories like those of high-profile figures’ deaths. On Twitter, Scott Bryan posted a screenshot showing the article featured both a section on the plan’s acceptance and on the plan’s rejection.

Oh god the New York Times accidentally published both versions of the Brexit vote in its story https://t.co/HcyLghlFyQ pic.twitter.com/eI4CYoS1nl
— Scott Bryan (@scottygb) March 12, 2019

iMediaEthics searched that text and found the text on the Times‘ website. The article showing both versions of the vote result appears on Google. See below.

iMediaEthics contacted the New York Times to ask what went wrong and how long both sections were published. We also asked if the Times would be publishing any correction or note to reflect the mistake; iMediaEthics has not received a response.