Online newspaper archives are a valuable resource, but for the people who appear in them they can become a problem. An article written years ago stays exactly as it was on the day it was published, even if the story has since moved on, the facts have turned out differently or the person involved has been cleared. Before thinking about delisting, the most effective route is often to approach the newsroom directly. Many publishers, if contacted properly, are willing to act.
Three different requests
Not all requests to a publisher are the same. It helps to know what you are asking for:
| Request | When it makes sense | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Correction | The article contained inaccurate facts at the time of publication | Publication of your clarification |
| Update | The facts were correct then, but the story has developed | The article is supplemented with the outcome |
| Anonymisation | The story still has value, but your identity does not | Your name is replaced with initials or identifying details are removed |
On top of these there is the request for removal, which publishers grant more rarely, because it affects the integrity of the archive.
The correction
Italy's press law, in Article 8, requires the editors of newspapers and periodicals to publish corrections from people to whom acts, thoughts or statements have been attributed that are damaging or considered untrue. Whether this regime applies to news websites has been debated, but a correction request remains a useful tool that serious newsrooms often heed.
An effective correction request:
- identifies the article precisely, with title, date and address;
- quotes the inaccurate sentence;
- states the correct fact briefly and verifiably;
- contains no polemical comments about the journalist or the publication.
The update
This is the most frequent request and often the most reasonable. Think of an article reporting an investigation without saying it ended with the case being dropped; or one about a business in trouble without saying it later recovered. In these cases the article was not wrong, but today it is incomplete, and incomplete information can be as misleading as false information.
Ask for a note to be added at the top or bottom of the article, for example: "Update: the proceedings mentioned ended with the person concerned being cleared." Attach the document proving the outcome.
Anonymisation
Some articles concern events that still have general interest, but where your identity adds nothing: an accident, a dispute, a minor news item. Here you can ask for your name to be replaced with initials and for details such as your address or workplace to be removed. The article remains, but it is no longer linked to you in searches.
How to write the request
- Find the right contact: many publications have an address dedicated to corrections or to the newsroom; failing that, write to the editor.
- Introduce yourself: who you are and why the article concerns you.
- Identify the article: title, date, full address.
- Explain what you are asking for: correction, update or anonymisation, and why.
- Attach documents: rulings, official communications, anything that confirms what you state.
- Keep a polite tone: the newsroom owes you no favour, but it is more inclined to help someone reasonable.
Keep a copy of the request and the date you sent it. If you receive no reply within a few weeks, send a reminder.
If the publisher does not reply or refuses
A refusal or silence does not close the matter. You can:
- ask search engines to delist the article, explaining that the story is incomplete or outdated;
- turn to the data protection authority;
- assess possible action with a lawyer, especially if the article contains false facts.
Copies on other sites
An article may have been picked up by aggregators, blogs or press review sites. If you obtain an update on the original, let the sites that copied it know about the updated version and ask them to bring theirs in line, or to remove the copy.
In short
- Before delisting, consider approaching the newsroom directly.
- Distinguish between correction, update and anonymisation: they are different requests.
- An incomplete article that omits the outcome of a story is a good reason to request an update.
- Write a precise, polite and documented request, and keep a record of sending it.
- If the publisher refuses, delisting, the data protection authority and legal advice remain open.