18,500 newspapers recalled due to small spelling mistake

Making a spelling mistake can be embarrassing:

[A local newspaper] took the extraordinary step Monday of re-calling all its 18,500 copies from newsstands around campus and the community to reprint the entire 14-page issue due to a typographical error on the front page.

And, sometimes, it can be funny:

A spelling error appeared in a photo caption in which the word “apostle” was rendered as “apostate.” In referring to activities at the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints last weekend, the caption read in part, “Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostates and other general authorities raise their hands in a sustaining vote. . . .”

But sometimes, the humor can't write itself.

The paper in question was The Daily UNiverse, student paper at BYU.

Once the mistake was noticed, all available copies of the newspaper were removed from the racks and replaced with a sign directing students to view the paper online, said Brad Rawlins, chair of the Department of Communications.

“We are reprinting the paper and we will have the corrected version back on the racks by mid-afternoon,” Rawlins said. “This shows the deep concern we have on the matter. We don’t think this error is glib or cute or humorous. We understand people will take offense to the error. We ourselves are offended as a department for this error. We have a deep regret that it appeared in today’s paper.”

Daryl Gibson, director of NewsNet IT, said this is the first time the paper has been pulled because of a news error in his more than 30 years of working at BYU.

The misspelling was an unintentional error, said Rich Evans, editorial manager for The Daily Universe.

And, of course, there were some who thought it was a conspiracy:

Hillary Miller, a media arts major from Arcadia, Calif., was concerned about the situation. “I hope someone isn’t just fooling around,” she said. “It would be sad if someone was trying to do harm to our church.”

Regardless of how this situation happened, Miller said it is upsetting.

According to a formal statement by the Department of Communications, there was no malicious intent.

The Gays have invaded the BYU newspaper! Is nothing safe? ;)

-Bob

(story can be found here.)