Factual errors and other conversations

Accuracy Watch has been more robust than usual, managing editor Gary Graham said, which means there have been more fact errors. “We’re in a real rut, and frankly a lot of it is being sloppy.” This month, it was primarily names and titles of people in stories.

• Speaking of fact, editor Steve Smith called earlier to note that RE: the ski area expansion story , the Cowles Company does own land by Mt. Spokane and has donated land in the past to that area. Disclosure of that land ownership is important because it shows any potential business interest or conflict of interest, especially when a story includes the Cowles family. Today’s story doesn’t include that disclosure, but it does include this one:

The 15-member Mt. Spokane 2000 board is headed by Jim Meyer, husband of Betsy Cowles, chairman of Cowles Co., which owns The Spokesman-Review. Her mother, Allison Cowles, also serves on the board.

• The Clifford Helm story got editors wondering about why Helm’s medical condition hadn’t come up earlier in the case, or whether it was an issue when Helm regained his driving rights. Also, re: a previous post about the woman walking next to Helm, that’s his wife Sandy.

He won by a nose

Spokesman-Review columnist Doug Clark really is flying to Istanbul , with Charlie Schmidt the Dancing Nose Guy.

The Dancing Nose Guy? Schmidt’s nose won a competition against a man who wrapped rubber bands around his head and a woman who could fit the end of a bundle of chopsticks in her mouth… and he’s been on Jay Leno’s Tonight Show , and he’s walked around as the Xtremely mobile home (last item on the video clip list), and he’s got a song about… diarrhea ? That also sounds like something Clark would do.

Clark and Schmidt will be in Turkey for several days, during which Clark will send columns. Stay tuned.

Love me sweet

Custom guns are not playthings , was a great story, folks said, but maybe the flashy customization doesn’t stop there. Backpack reporter Thomas Clouse pointed out that despite senior editor Carla Savalli’s devotion to Elvis, they have yet to invent a gun that plays Elvis songs when you pull the trigger.

“If I could invent that, I could retire,” Savalli said.

Coming up

Mayor Mary Verner’s 100th day in office, cheesemaking classes, and other good stuff.