Dave Kirvin of Kirvin Doak called and, in a most gentlemanly manner (certainly much better than I’d have handled it), pointed out an erroneous assumption in a now-deleted item about the Liberace Museum. Fortune reported that a PR firm was being paid $300K to represent the museum. Kirvin Doak, one of the biggest PR shops in town was also representing the Liberace Foundation but was not — repeat, was not — the one getting paid the 300 dimes. In other words, I put two and two together and came up with five (or 300,000).
Kirvin’s fee for its Liberace Museum work constituted $17,500 a year in billed hours and an equal amount of pro bono work: a heckuva better deal than the Foundation was getting from its other, unnamed PR partner. I have to tip my sombrero to Kirvin Doak for taking on the Foundation as — and I don’t mean this pejoratively — a charity case and I owe the firm an apology big time.
I regret the error and will be dining heartily upon crow for the remainder of this week.
A thoughtful and well-written correction is the sign of a good reporter.
Kudos for doing the right thing.
I agree with John’s comment. I’m annoyed when my local fish wrap prints its corrections in a hidden spot after placing the original errors in a prominent spot. Well done, David, to give the correction the prominence of the original in your correction and apology.