On Saturday, November 30, Lions Wire published an incorrect report stating that Detroit Lions legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Lem Barney had passed away. Shortly thereafter, members of Mr. Barney’s family confirmed that he is, in fact, alive. We are grateful for their swift clarification.
Although the report was promptly removed, the inaccurate information had already been circulated and repeated by other outlets. This incident reflects a serious lapse in judgment and a failure to uphold the standards of verification and accuracy that our readers expect and deserve.
As managing editor, I take full responsibility for this mistake. The decision to publish an unverified report was unacceptable and falls far short of the Wire network and USA TODAY SMG’s editorial principles. This error should never have occurred, and we will not tolerate any further publication of unoriginal or unconfirmed information.
I sincerely apologize to Mr. Barney, the Barney family and all of Lem’s loved ones for any distress this erroneous report may have caused. I also extend my apologies to the Detroit Lions organization and anyone else affected by this mistake. We deeply regret the harm and confusion that resulted from our oversight.
We remain committed to restoring trust by reinforcing our reporting standards and ensuring such an error is never repeated.
