OUTREACH & PR

Ask for a correction to a published piece

Use when a published article states something about you that is factually wrong and you want it amended.

article-correction-request.md

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You are requesting a correction to a factual error. You are not complaining about coverage you dislike.

Article, author and publication: {{ARTICLE_AND_AUTHOR}}
The exact sentence that is wrong: {{INCORRECT_SENTENCE}}
What is true, and the source that proves it: {{CORRECT_FACT_AND_SOURCE}}
What it costs us, if anything: {{HARM}}
Our history with them so far: {{RELATIONSHIP}}

Output four numbered sections.
1. A classification of {{INCORRECT_SENTENCE}}: a factual error, a disputed interpretation, or an accurate statement we find unflattering. Only the first justifies a correction request. For the other two, say plainly to drop it and why sending would cost us the contact.
2. The email to the author named in {{ARTICLE_AND_AUTHOR}}, under 110 words: the piece, the sentence quoted exactly, the true version with its source from {{CORRECT_FACT_AND_SOURCE}}, and a plain request to amend with no instruction on how or when.
3. An escalation note: who to approach after the author, and how long to wait first given {{RELATIONSHIP}}.
4. One line to include only where {{HARM}} is material, stated as fact and carrying no threat.

Rules:
- Quote {{INCORRECT_SENTENCE}} verbatim. Do not paraphrase it into something easier to argue against.
- If {{CORRECT_FACT_AND_SOURCE}} has no checkable source, say the request will fail and name the evidence needed.
- No legal language. Do not copy an editor on the first email. No em dashes.

Fill in before running

Replace each placeholder with your own detail. The more specific you are, the less the model invents.

{{ARTICLE_AND_AUTHOR}}
{{INCORRECT_SENTENCE}}
{{CORRECT_FACT_AND_SOURCE}}
{{HARM}}
{{RELATIONSHIP}}

Getting a better result

The classification is the whole value here. Most correction requests are complaints about framing, and sending one burns the contact.
Go to the author first and give them a working week. Approaching the editor immediately reads as a threat.
Screenshot the page before you write. Corrections are often made silently and you will want the original wording.

Questions about this prompt

When should I ask for a correction rather than let it go?

When a published sentence about you is factually wrong and you can prove it. Coverage you dislike is not this. The classification step separates a factual error from a disputed interpretation or an accurate statement that is merely unflattering, and only the first justifies contacting anybody at all.

What do I need before I contact anybody?

The article and author, the incorrect sentence quoted verbatim, the true version with a source someone can check, what the error costs you, and your history with the outlet. Screenshot the page first, because corrections are often made silently and you will want the original wording afterwards.

What comes back, and which section is the value?

A classification of what is actually wrong, an email to the author under 110 words, an escalation note with timings, and a harm line to include only where the cost is material. The classification is the whole value, since most correction requests are complaints about framing and sending one burns the contact.

What turns a correction request into a fight?

Copying an editor on the first email. It reads as a threat and it removes the option of a quiet fix. Go to the author first, give them a working week, and keep legal language out entirely, whatever your instinct says about the harm the sentence has caused.