Disagreeing PR Tip #1: Everyone makes mistakes.

Everyone makes mistakes, from software companies to NFL referees to newspapers.

When software companies make mistakes, they send out bug-fixes and incremental upgrades (that wedge in bug fixes).

When NFL referees make mistakes, they sometimes (but not often) are overruled by instant replay. Still, they sometimes make the wrong call, but it doesn't change the final score or winner of a game -- despite the grumbling and size of the mistake.

When print publications make mistakes, they typically print a correction, a disclaimer, or retraction. And nearly 99 percent of the time, the correction is buried towards the beginning of the publication -- if the publication even bothers to make a correction at all.

It may sound flippant, but these things happen. Human beings -- the ultimate creators of print copy, plus editing and layout -- are fallible.

Despite the best efforts of writers, editors, copy editors, and layout people, mistakes will occasionally be made. Most certainly people within your organization make mistakes (or you are lying to yourself, which is a different problem).

You have little control over how mistakes are made in the media, but you can sometimes lessen the odds of mistakes being made by taking the time to educate reporters and editors about your company and encouraging them to seek your two cents when a question arises -- this is different from the "We want to read the text before you print it" fat chance.

Once you accept the fact (not theory, fact) that everyone, including the media, makes mistakes, you are ready to move onto the next step -- trying to get them corrected.