FL - bang on.
AP, you'll never read/see it - because that's not what the mainstream media wants. I ran Today's Pilot for 10 years, and despite several invitations the only time I ever went on TV was to do a kids show (don't ask!) For a few years after the magazine was launched the BBC/ITN/Daily Mail etc etc would ring whenever there was a GA prang. Eventually, my secretary got so tired of me telling her to tell them "he says he wasn't there and doesn't have enough information to comment" that she stopped telling me they'd phoned, and just said "he wasn't there."
PN - there's a lot of variables that decide the size and location of the correction/apology. I did my best not to screw up in the first place, but when the ball was dropped (even if it wasn't strictly my fault) I always put my hand up. As Editor, the buck stopped with me.
People who know just a little but insist on pontificating on the radio or TV (mostly for their own self-aggrandisment) really annoy me. And I've always been very wary of self-professed experts - we all know that an ex is a has-been, and a spurt is a drip under pressure!
Finally, BPF - have you ever considered a career with the AAIB or NTSB?