Just because I KNOW somebody will copy and paste

[MineralMan]

32. When the apology is sincere,

it will be accepted, but there are still consequences. For professional journalists, a mistake like this one would be a job-ender, if not a career-ender. For amateurs, that's not necessarily the case, but the publication that publishes erroneous material may lose whatever reputation it might have.

This story did not affect you in any way, so there was no harm done to you. However, you are not the only one who might have been affected by it.

Sure, I'll accept a sincere apology for sloppy work. But I won't continue to regard that writer's work with anything but skepticism. That's why accuracy is paramount for journalists and reporters. Without that, they have nothing to sell.

Frankly, I don't see this apology as sincere, in any case, but that's another issue.