On Thursday a story titled “Film department adding a bachelor of fine arts degree” ran online and in our newsletter. I ultimately decided to remove the story from our site because it contained several inaccuracies which required further reporting in order to correct. 

The initial story reported the Bachelor of Fine Arts was already approved and added to the film program and was accepting applicants. As of Thursday, the addition was still pending approval by the Board of Regents and the Council on Postsecondary Education. 

After reading the already published story, I realized how it could appear unbalanced, as it did not contain sourcing from the department or university and would lead to misinformation about the degree. 

At the Herald, we have implemented an editing system which requires multiple views on a story before it publishes online. In this instance, it seemed there was a problem within our system and a story which did not meet our standards was published. 

In running a story like this, I fully recognize the damage done to our credibility. While I never hoped to be writing a note like this, I hope it is a learning opportunity for all of us involved that good journalism and accuracy requires time and attention to detail. 

We will be working to further report and correct this story, and I sincerely apologize for the lapse in our standards. We will continue to strive to bring you accurate, reliable and transparent information moving forward. 

Editor-in-Chief Rebekah Alvey can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @bekah_alvey.