They Can't Multiply, Either
Lately, the New York Times's Public Editor has been on a tear about the fact that the paper's reporters and editors can't spell, a fact which we noted here. They can't multiply, either. In today's Corrections section, the paper corrects a prior mathematical error:
An article on Tuesday about the governing party of Turkey’s presidential nomination of Abdullah Gul, an economist and practicing Muslim, misstated the number of votes he would need to win confirmation in the 500-seat Parliament if he failed in the first two rounds of voting, when a two-thirds majority, or 367 votes, is required. In a third round, he would need 276 votes, not 267.
Oops. Still not right: two-thirds of 500 is 333. It's hard to imagine how the paper's reporters and editors--including whoever edits the Corrections section!--could look at this calculation and fail to realize that it's wrong. (Two-thirds of 500 is the same, obviously, as one-third of 1,000.)
There is an explanation for this numerical fog. The Turkish Parliament has 550 seats, not 500. Further corrections will no doubt be forthcoming; maybe the Times will get it right the third time.
You should keep this kind of thing in mind when you consider that the people who work for the Times, and similar newspapers, think they are qualified to instruct you in political, social and ethical matters because they are smarter than you are.
To comment on this post, go here.
