Corrections policy and log

We cover the people who run state government, and we expect them to own their mistakes. We hold ourselves to the same rule.

We check our work before it runs, and we will still get things wrong sometimes. When we do, we fix the story, say on the page what we changed, and add it to our public corrections log. We don’t quietly edit a mistake away.

Our corrections practice follows the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics: acknowledge mistakes, correct them promptly and prominently, and explain them clearly.

What we correct

A correction fixes a factual error: a wrong name, number, date, title, quote, or claim. A misspelled name counts as a correction, not a typo.
A clarification fixes something that was accurate but could leave a reader with the wrong impression, or that left out context a reader needed.
An update adds new information after a story runs, such as a new development or a response we didn’t have at publication. An update isn’t an error, so it’s marked on the story but not listed in the corrections log.

Spelling and grammar fixes that don’t change meaning are made without a note.

How a correction appears

Every correction and clarification gets a dated note on the story that says what was wrong and what is right. For example:

Correction, Oct. 12, 2026: A previous version of this story misstated the date of the committee vote. The vote was Sept. 30.

If an error changed what the story means, such as a wrong person named, a misstated vote, or a wrong figure at the heart of the story, the note goes at the top. Other notes go at the bottom. If a headline was wrong, we fix it and say so in the note. We don’t change a story’s URL to hide a correction.

Who decides, and how fast

The executive director signs off on every correction and clarification. We review every report of an error within two business days, and we fix confirmed errors as soon as we confirm them.

Newsletters

We can’t change an email once it lands in your inbox. If a newsletter contained an error, we correct it in the next issue, link to the corrected story, and add the correction to our log.

Stories from partner newsrooms

Some stories on our site come from other newsrooms, and we label them with their source. Those newsrooms are responsible for correcting their own work, and their corrections aren’t listed in our log. If you spot an error in one, tell us and we’ll pass it to the newsroom that published it.

Removing a story

We don’t remove stories because someone objects to them or because they’re old. The executive director can remove or substantially rewrite a story in three cases:

it puts someone’s safety at risk;
the law requires it;
it is wrong at its core and a correction can’t fix it.

When that happens, we leave a note at the original address saying what we did and why.

Tell us

If you think we got something wrong, email [email protected]. Tell us which story and what you think is wrong. A person reads every message.

Corrections log

Every correction and clarification on Heartland Signal stories since February 2024, newest first.

Correction, Sept. 11, 2026: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Kirk was assassinated at Utah State University. The shooting happened at Utah Valley University.
Jackson County GOP names 9/11 golf sponsorships after attack sites

Correction, April 17, 2026: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated Tiffany was the chair of Wisconsin’s Joint Finance Committee. He was just a member.
Wisconsin governor candidate Tom Tiffany now critical of energy company that funded his election campaigns

Correction, Dec. 4, 2025: A previous version of this article incorrectly said Ceballos was the mayor of Clearwater, Kan. He was actually the mayor of Coldwater, Kan.
Republican mayor in Kansas facing deportation over voter fraud

Correction, Dec. 1, 2025: A previous version of this story incorrectly had GiveDirectly as “Give Directly.” This has since been fixed.
How one nonprofit kept over 236,000 families afloat when SNAP benefits disappeared

Correction, Nov. 19, 2025: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Eli Cousin’s name as “Eli Cumming.” This has since been corrected.
FACT CHECK: Rob Bresnahan’s claim on Mike Johnson agreeing to ACA subsidies vote is false

Correction, Aug. 26, 2025: A previous version of this article said Hoffman is a state representative. He is actually a state senator.
New details emerge in Minnesota state lawmaker shootings

Clarification, April 23, 2025: A previous version of this story did not clarify that Byrne removed the requirement to teach consent in a bill. There is currently no requirement in Indiana K-12 schools to teach consent in sexual education.
Indiana Republican moves to remove requirement to teach consent in sex ed bill

Correction, March 20, 2025: A previous version of this story cited Eichorn’s first name as “Jim.” It’s “Justin.”
Minnesota Republican Justin Eichorn resigns after underage prostitution scandal

Correction, Feb. 14, 2025: This article has been updated to include comments from Animal Wellness Action’s Kevin Chambers. Also, a previous version of this story stated that Justin Humphrey was a police officer. He worked in law enforcement, but as a corrections officer for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. And a previous version of this article claimed that an Oklahoma couple was facing up to 590 years in prison for cockfighting, but all but one of the charges have been dropped. These have been fixed.
Oklahoma Republican wants to legalize cockfighting against robots

Clarification, Oct. 25, 2024: This article has been edited to clarify the timeline of Amendment 3’s ballot approval process in Missouri.
Momentum for abortion rights measures grows in Missouri and South Dakota amid shifting public opinion

Correction, Oct. 11, 2024: This article has been edited for clarity, accuracy, and to include comment from Citadel.
Major Republican donor’s firm made millions capitalizing on COVID market downturn, invested around Hurricane Katrina market volatility

Correction, Aug. 1, 2024: A previous version of this article stated that Ek lived in Wisconsin. She lives in Minnesota.
Minnesota Republican falsely says that birth control pills are ‘designed to abort’

Correction, July 25, 2024: This article has been edited to correct Parker Molloy’s name spelling.
OPINION: The media platformed propaganda at the Republican convention. That won’t work in Chicago.

Correction, June 13, 2024: A previous version of this article stated that Trump won the 6th Congressional District by 41 percentage points. It was actually 29 points.
GOP narrowly wins Ohio congressional special election in district Trump carried by 29 points in 2020

Correction, May 15, 2024: A previous version of this article stated Gomez is 24 years old. She is actually 25 years old.
Republican secretary of state candidate tells voters not to be ‘weak and gay’

Clarification, May 7, 2024: This article has been updated with comments from a SoundThinking representative and a disclaimer at the bottom. The headline and lede have also been modified to more fairly and accurately reflect Ralph Clark’s comments.
[UPDATED] ShotSpotter CEO evokes Guantánamo Bay debate in defense of product

Correction, April 1, 2024: A previous version of this article stated Ben Shapiro is the Democrat that won the 2022 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election. It was Josh Shapiro.
Pennsylvania GOP congressional candidate disses Scranton, largest city in district, in town hall

Correction, March 27, 2024: A previous version of this article stated that Loudermill is a Kansas City resident. He is a resident of the Kansas City area and lives in Olathe, Kan.
Rep. Tim Burchett hit with a defamation lawsuit over Chiefs parade shooting social media posts