A story about you has been published and it's wrong. Here's how to get it corrected

It's a horrible feeling. You open the article and there's your name, next to something that isn't true. It might be the wrong date, a quote you never gave, a charge you were cleared of, or a version of events that leaves out the part that matters most.

The instinct is to fight it publicly and straight away. That usually makes it worse. Most inaccurate stories can be corrected, and how you go about it decides how quickly that happens and how much extra attention it brings.

This is what we'd do if you came to us the morning it was published.

Work out whether it's wrong or just unfair

Corrections are for facts. A story can be one-sided, badly timed and painful to read while still being accurate, and a newspaper won't correct something because you dislike the tone.

Go through the article line by line and write down every claim that's wrong, what the truth is and what evidence you have. Dates, figures, job titles, quotes and legal outcomes are the strongest. A headline that isn't supported by the article underneath it counts too.

Keep your list of factual errors separate from the things you'd simply have written differently. Leading with the facts is what gets results.

Don't respond on social media yet

Posting about the article sends more people to read it. Screenshots travel further than corrections, and anything you say publicly can be quoted in a follow-up piece.

Resist calling the journalist while you're upset, and ask friends not to pile into the comments on your behalf. However kindly they mean it, it keeps the story alive.

Go to the publication first

The quickest route is nearly always a calm, short email to the journalist and the editor. Many publications also have a readers' editor or a corrections address listed on their website.

Say exactly what's wrong, what's correct and attach your evidence. Then say what you're asking for, whether that's a correction, an amendment to the online article, a removed photograph or a note adding the outcome. Ask for a reply by a reasonable date.

Simple errors are often fixed within a day or two this way, usually by quietly amending the online version. Keep a copy of everything you send and receive, in case you need to take it further.

If other sites have copied the story, get the original corrected first. Then send the correction to each site that repeated it, because most will update once the source has.

If they won't correct it, complain to IPSO

IPSO regulates most UK newspapers and magazines, including their websites. Clause 1 of the Editors' Code requires publications to take care not to publish inaccurate or misleading information, and to correct significant errors promptly and with due prominence.

The time limits matter. IPSO generally considers complaints within four months of publication, or up to twelve months for articles still online. Don't wait to see if it blows over.

IPSO can secure a correction, a follow-up piece or a published ruling against the paper, which it must print with due prominence. It can't award compensation, although it runs a separate low-cost arbitration scheme for legal claims.

IPSO doesn't regulate The Guardian, The Independent or the Financial Times. Each has its own complaints process, so go to them directly. Some smaller and online publications are regulated by IMPRESS instead, so check the complaints page of the outlet involved.

For television and radio, complain to the broadcaster first. If that doesn't resolve it, you can take it to Ofcom.

When it may be a legal matter

If the story is false and seriously damaging, it may be defamatory. In England and Wales, you have to show that it has caused, or is likely to cause, serious harm to your reputation. For a business, that means serious financial loss.

Claims generally have to be brought within a year of publication, so speak to a media lawyer early if you think you have one. A solicitor's letter can be what finally gets an article changed. It can also become a story in itself, so the legal and PR approach need to be planned together.

When the story was true then but isn't now

This is one of the most common problems we see. Someone was arrested, then never charged. A case was dropped, an investigation closed or a business changed hands. The original story stays online, often at the top of Google, as if nothing happened next.

Ask the publication to update the article or add a note with the outcome, and send the evidence, such as court documents or a letter confirming no further action. Many publications will add an update, because an incomplete story is a problem for them too.

You can also ask Google to remove an article from searches of your name. Google weighs whether the information is inaccurate, out of date or no longer relevant against the public interest, your public role and how recent the journalism is. Evidence such as a court decision in your favour helps a great deal.

This only affects searches of your name. The article stays on the publication's website, and it's an individual right, so a company can't apply on its own behalf.

AI tools draw on the same articles, so a corrected or updated story also improves what ChatGPT and similar tools say about you over time.

If you're in the United States

There's no US equivalent of IPSO. Corrections depend on each outlet's own standards and corrections policy, and most major publications have a standards editor who handles them.

Defamation claims are also much harder to win, particularly for public figures, who have to show the outlet knew the story was false or recklessly ignored the truth. That makes the editorial route, with clear evidence and a calm, persistent request, even more important.

When to bring in help

A single factual error can often be fixed with one good email. It's worth getting support when the journalist is planning follow-ups, other outlets have picked the story up, there's a legal matter running alongside it, or the article has become the first thing people see when they search your name.

We deal with editors, corrections and complaints, coordinate with your lawyers where needed, and work on what appears on Google and AI tools afterwards. If you'd like to talk it through, book a free introductory call to see whether we can help.

If you'd rather handle it yourself, The Little Reputation Handbook has a template for asking a publication to correct a story, along with what to do next if they won't.