NY Times has yet to correct misquote of Clinton's comments during emotional moment in NH

The New York Times has not corrected a January 7 article that misquotes Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-NY) emotional response to a question by Marianne Pernold Young, a local freelance photographer, during a campaign event that day in New Hampshire. ABC News reported: " 'My question is very personal, how do you do it?' Pernold Young asked, mentioning that Clinton's hair and appearance always looking [sic] perfectly coifed. 'How do you, how do you keep upbeat and so wonderful?' " As Media Matters for America noted, on January 7, the Times misreported that Clinton said, in part, "I have so many ideas for this country, I just don't want to see us fall backwards" [emphasis added]. In fact, as video of Clinton's remarks makes clear, she said, "You know, I have so many opportunities from this country," expressing gratitude and explaining her motivations for running [emphasis added].

The Times has continued to report on the event -- a January 8 article reported accurately that Clinton said "opportunities from this country," and a January 9 article on the event did not include that particular comment -- but has yet to correct the error in the January 7 article.

According to CNN, "Clinton said she had help with her hair on 'special days,' and that she drew criticism on the days she did not." Following is the rest of Clinton's response to Pernold Young's question:

CLINTON: It's not easy, it's not easy. And I couldn't do it if I just didn't, you know, passionately believe it was the right thing to do. You know, I have so many opportunities from this country. I just don't want to see us fall backwards, you know? So.

[applause]

You know, this is very personal for me. It's not just political, it's not just public. I see what's happening, and we have to reverse it. And some people think elections are a game. They think it's like who's up or who's down. It's about our country, and it's about our kids' futures. And it's really about all of us, together. You know, some of us put ourselves out there and do this against some pretty difficult odds. And we do it, each one of us, because we care about our country.

But some of us are right and some of us are wrong. Some of us are ready, and some of us are not. Some of us know what we will do on day one, and some of us haven't really thought that through enough. And so, when we look at the array of problems we have, and the potential for it getting -- really spinning out of control, this is one of the most important elections America's ever faced.

So, as tired as I am -- and I am -- and as difficult as it is to kind of keep up what I try to do on the road, like occasionally exercise and try to eat right -- it's tough when the easiest food is pizza -- I just believe so strongly in who we are as a nation. So I'm going to do everything I can to make my case, and, you know, then the voters get to decide. Thank you all.

The Wall Street Journal published two January 8 articles reporting the Clinton quote with the same error as The New York Times: "I have so many ideas for this country." In contrast to the Times, however, the Journal has since posted corrections, noting: "Hillary Clinton replied to a voter's question: 'I have so many opportunities from this country ...' The initial version of this article incorrectly quoted her as saying: 'I have so many ideas for this country ...' "

As Media Matters for America has noted, during the 2000 presidential election cycle, it took the Times nine days to correct an article that misquoted then-presidential candidate Al Gore, a misquote that was picked up by numerous other media outlets before the Times' correction. A December 1, 1999, article by reporter Katharine Q. "Kit" Seelye on Gore's 1999 comments regarding the "Love Canal," a toxic-waste dump in upstate New York, reported: "Later in the day, Mr. Gore ... said he was the one who had first drawn attention to the toxic contamination of Love Canal." Seelye quoted Gore as saying: " 'I found a little place in upstate New York called Love Canal. I had the first hearing on that issue and Toone, Tenn.,' he said. 'But I was the one that started it all. And it all happened because one high school student got involved.' " A December 1, 1999, Washington Post article by staff writer Ceci Connolly also misquoted Gore. In fact, as a video clip of Gore's statement that aired on the December 1, 1999, edition of Hardball proved, Gore actually said: "I found a little place in upstate New York called Love Canal, had the first hearing on that issue in Toone-Teague, Tennessee. That was the one you didn't hear of, but that was the one that started it all." The Times did not run a correction of the story until December 10, 1999.

According to a Nexis search, before the Times corrected its misquote, the error had been repeated by several other media outlets, including:

• Bill Kristol during the December 4, 1999, edition of CNBC's Tim Russert
• Kristol during the December 5, 1999, edition of ABC's This Week
• The December 5, 1999, edition of MSNBC's The News with Brian Williams
• A column by Steve Chapman in the December 5, 1999, edition of the Chicago Tribune
• The December 7, 1999, edition of The Washington Times
• A December 6, 1999, column by James W. Brosnan published in The Commercial Appeal (Memphis)

In addition, many news outlets that did not specifically misquote Gore nevertheless during those nine days reported on Gore's supposed claim that he had discovered Love Canal.