Wall Street Journal Erroneously Reports Pasadena Spends 43% of General Fund on Pensions

 

In a feature story last week, The Wall Street Journal erroneously reported that the City of Pasadena spent 43 percent of its General Fund on pensions in Fiscal Year 2012, when in fact the City reports it was actually only 9.7 percent.

Pasadena appeared to have spent far higher percentage of general funds on pension costs than other cities across the United States based on a chart in the original article, published Oct. 30.

City officials said that in reality, Pasadena’s spending is below any of the other cities highlighted in the graphic illustration and is below the median average of 10 percent reflected by the 250 U.S. cities surveyed for the article.

Upon reading the news article, Pasadena Public Information Officer William Boyer immediately contacted the editors and reporting staff of the newspaper to request that the graphic be corrected in the Wall Street Journal’s database and to have an additional correction posted online and printed in the newspaper.

Editor Karen Miller Pensiero of the Wall Street Journal replied to Boyer in an email stating the article in question would be reviewed.

“The Journal places the highest level of importance on issues of accuracy and fairness. We will review your concerns, and I will respond to you as quickly as possible,” Pensiero said.

The Wall Street Journal subsequently updated its article on Tuesday, November 5 and published a correction on page A-2 of the newspaper’s November 6 edition.

“The Wall Street Journal incorrectly included the proceeds of a $46.6 million one-time pension-bond issue and other anomalies in general-fund revenues,” the newspaper posted on its “Corrections and Amplifications” section.

The companion graphic illustration was also updated and Pasadena was removed from the chart.

Kirsten Danis, Northeast U.S. Editor for the newspaper, sent a letter to Boyer, stating that the Wall Street Journal “hold(s) ourselves to the highest standards and appreciate your contacting us.”