← Back to Better 311 Policy · Updated 2026-08-30

Corrections Policy

When we get something wrong, we fix it fast, out loud, and permanently.

How corrections work

• Within 24 hours. A reported error is investigated and corrected within one business day.
• Appended, never silent. A correction is a dated note added to the article itself. The corrected text follows. We never quietly edit a published piece.
• Errors stay visible. The correction note remains on the article permanently. Removing or rewriting history is not how records work.

Kinds of corrections

Type	What we do
Factual error (wrong number, wrong source, wrong claim)	Correct + dated correction note
Source or method error (wrong dataset ID, wrong query)	Correct + method note explaining what changed and why the numbers may differ
Data source changed (city reclassified a category)	Method note on the piece: "the city reclassified X; not directly comparable to [date]"
Opinion update (a writer's position changed)	Highlighted "Update" box with the old position, the new evidence, and why. Never a silent flip.

Report an error

Email contact@better311.org with the article link and what looks wrong. Reader corrections are the backbone of data-checked journalism | we take them seriously and answer every one.

Corrections log

Every correction is recorded here.

Date	Article	Correction
September 4, 2026	September 3 SFPD incident brief	Withdrawn. The automated brief reported one incident from an incomplete DataSF load. The pipeline now holds abnormally low daily loads instead of publishing them.