Standard-Examiner "Behind the Headlines" Column: Sometimes Knowing When a Story is Ready to Publish is a Hard Decision

Will the 346 citizens who've already signed the petition demanding a Standard-Examiner apology find this morning's Andy Howell column to be sufficient... or will they stand their ground and hold out for something even a little more formal?

As a followup to Thusday's WCF writeup, we find an Andy Howell "Behind the Headlines" column in this morning's Standard-Examiner, which amounts to a detailed and forthright account of how the Huntsville 4th of July parade story developed, and how the SE corrected its erroneous first report [in the print edition] of what the sign on the back of the float actually said:

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As gentle reader Bob Becker notes in last night's reader comment, "the chronology of how it all happened is very interesting."  Here's this morning's full Andy Howell column.

• Sometimes knowing when a story is ready to publish is a hard decision

Buried within this morning's column is what could pass for an apology to the citizens of Huntsville Town, we suppose: "I sympathize with their feelings and am sorry the witness got the sign wrong," managing editor Andy Howell says.

WCF reader query: Will the folks who are running the petition demanding a Standard-Examiner apology find this morning's column to be sufficient? Or will the 346 citizens who've already signed the petion stand their ground and hold out for something even a little more formal?

We'll close with this observation, folks.  This morning's Andy Howell column renders Andy's 06/29/2012 column more than a mite ironic and prophetic, dunnit?

• Sometimes speed makes you first to be wrong

So who'll be the first to throw in their own 2¢?