The New York Times has issued a correction to its story on a potential criminal probe launched by the Department of Justice into the email use of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.
The paper published the story late Thursday night reporting the DOJ was launching a criminal investigation into Clinton’s emails. The story received media brushback after the Times changed its headline and certain sections without notations or corrections in response to the Clinton campaign complaining.
“An earlier version of this article and an earlier headline, using information from senior government officials, misstated the nature of the referral to the Justice Department regarding Hillary Clinton’s personal email account while she was secretary of state,” the correction stated. “The referral addressed the potential compromise of classified information in connection with that personal email account. It did not specifically request an investigation into Mrs. Clinton.”
Co-author Michael Schmidt, who told Politico the changes to the piece were made after the Clinton campaign complained, retweeted a tweet Friday that defended the Times against media critics.
NYT did not/would not lie. DOJ official had characterized as criminal referral – now correcting record @PCalith @nytimes @MichaelSSchmidt
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) July 24, 2015
The Times first reported two inspectors general had requested the Justice Department to probe “into whether Hillary Rodham Clinton mishandled sensitive government information on a private email account she used as secretary of state.”
That sentence was changed to “into whether sensitive government information was mishandled in connection with the personal email account Hillary Rodham Clinton used as secretary of state.”
The story’s headline was also changed from “Criminal Inquiry Sought in Hillary Clinton’s Use of Email” to “Criminal Inquiry Is Sought in Clinton Email Account.” Other journalists pummeled the Times in response.
So is @nytimes blaming govt officials for providing false information? Am I over-parsing?
— Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) July 24, 2015
The NYT changed the target of a criminal probe from HRC to those handling her email without a correction? http://t.co/vpXexgKcoW
— Joan Walsh (@joanwalsh) July 24, 2015
This is one you can’t do in the middle of the night without explanation: New York Times alters Clinton email story. http://t.co/ZMmuStMy08
— Jay Rosen (@jayrosen_nyu) July 24, 2015
I miss the days when the @NYTimes was known by the slogan “The last with the most.” Today, it’s “We can just fix the lede after midnight”
— Daily Kos Elections (@DKElections) July 24, 2015