editor-note-writer

Editor Note Writer

What This Skill Does

Drafts a publication-ready editor's note — correction, clarification, update, or disclosure — from the facts you provide, following standard editorial transparency conventions.

When To Use This Skill

• A published article contains a factual error and you need a correction note appended or prepended to the piece
• New information has emerged since publication and readers need an update notice
• An editorial decision requires disclosure — a conflict of interest, a source who has since recanted, or a legal outcome that changes the story
• You need to clarify ambiguous wording that generated reader complaints without issuing a formal correction

What You Need To Provide

Required: The type of note (correction, clarification, update, or disclosure); a plain-language description of what happened — what was wrong or what changed; the article title or identifier so the note can reference it.

Optional: The publication date of the original article; the specific sentence or passage that is affected; any house style rules for how your publication formats editor's notes (e.g., "We use 'Correction:' in bold at the top of the article"); whether the note should be appended, prepended, or standalone.

How the Assistant Approaches This

1. Classifies the note type. Determines whether this is a correction (something was factually wrong), a clarification (something was technically accurate but misleading), an update (new information has emerged), or a disclosure (editorial transparency about process or conflicts). Each type has a different conventional tone and structure.

2. States the error or change plainly. Writes what was originally published, what was incorrect or incomplete, and what the accurate version is — in that order. Uses neutral, non-defensive language. Never blames sources, readers, or circumstances. Never minimises the error.

3. Calibrates length and tone to severity. A minor factual correction (wrong date, misspelled name) gets two sentences. A substantive correction that changes the meaning of a key claim gets a full paragraph with context. A disclosure or update that affects editorial credibility gets careful, measured language that acknowledges the significance without being melodramatic.