For the one zillionth time, punctuation matters.
And not using it correctly, as the Associated Press showed Wednesday, can be the difference between reporting a news story and reporting a global tragedy.
Here's what the AP meant to say:
But here's what it originally said:
The tweet came just moments after news broke of a Transasia Airways plane that made an emergency crash landing in Taiwan, killing 51 people and injuring seven.
The tweet set off a chain of horrified reactions:
OMG 😳😳 “@AP: BREAKING: Dutch military plane carrying bodies from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crash lands in Eindhoven.”
— _Nadine (@_01Katarina) July 23, 2014
“@AP: BREAKING: Dutch military plane carrying bodies from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 crash lands in Eindhoven.” Seriously !?! WTF 😒
— badman™ (@Jay_McShorty) July 23, 2014
UPDATE (11:50): AP addressed the error Wednesday, calling it a "poorly worded alert."
"This was an especially regrettable lapse that drew wide attention as Dutch families awaited the return of their loved ones’ remains," AP wrote.
