NPR discusses error in reporting on the last day of the Supreme Court term

All Things Considered host Scott Detrow speaks with NPR's editor-in-chief Thomas Evans and Nina Totenberg about her reporting on the final day of the Supreme Court term. SCOTT DETROW, HOST: And NPR's Nina Totenberg joins me live now, along with NPR's editor in chief Thomas Evans. Hi to both of you. NINA TOTENBERG, BYLINE: Hi. DETROW: We're here because we want to take some time to acknowledge an error we made today. We reported that Justice Samuel Alito is retiring. He's not. Nina tell us what happened. TOTENBERG: Well, we didn't. I did to my boss, and I scared everybody half to death for about five minutes, and it's entirely on me. It's not anybody else's fault. And I've written to Justice Alito to apologize, and I thought I would read you most of this letter, 'cause it tells you everything. DETROW: OK. TOTENBERG: (Reading) Dear Justice Alito, there are no words to adequately apologize for today's error in reporting your retirement. It was entirely my fault. I rushed out of the courtroom after the opinion announcements, and when I realized that the usual rush of folks, after a few minutes, had not happened, I asked somebody what was going on inside, to which the answer was retirement announcements. I didn't hear the S on announcements and assumed - something no reporter should ever do - that you were retiring. It was the worst professional mistake of my more than 50 years in journalism. …