NPR's esteemed Supreme Court correspondent, Nina Totenberg, has publicly apologized for a significant reporting error that mistakenly announced the retirement of Justice Samuel Alito. The report, which briefly appeared on NPR's website, was quickly retracted, and Totenberg has taken full accountability for the mistake.
Speaking on NPR's "All Things Considered," Totenberg described the incident as "the worst professional mistake of my more than 50 years in journalism." She explained that as she was leaving the Supreme Court chambers following opinion announcements, she overheard what she believed to be a retirement announcement. However, she misheard the plural "announcements" as a singular "announcement" and incorrectly assumed it referred to Justice Alito's departure. Totenberg has since sent a personal apology to Justice Alito, expressing her profound regret for the error and any confusion it may have caused.
The misreporting occurred during a busy period as the Supreme Court was releasing major rulings. Totenberg's report was live for a short period before being withdrawn. NPR's editor-in-chief, Thomas Evans, also addressed the error, stating that the organization takes ultimate responsibility and will learn from the incident to improve its breaking news processes. While Totenberg has covered the Supreme Court for decades, she acknowledged this as a "rookie mistake," emphasizing her regret.
