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CBC’s and CTV’s newsrooms published rather important “clarifications” to online news stories on Tuesday afternoon, the main point of which was that Stephen Harper never uttered the phrase “regime change” at an international policy gabfest in New Delhi. The topic was Iran and its shooting down of a Ukrainian airliner with 176 souls aboard, the vast majority of whom were heading to Canada, and 57 of whom were Canadian citizens.

The public broadcaster’s original headline, “Former prime minister Stephen Harper says peace in the Middle East will only come if there is regime change in Iran,” became “former prime minister Stephen Harper says peace in the Middle East will only come after change comes to Iran.”

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Meanwhile CTV’s headline, “Harper calls for Iranian regime change in wake of downed jet,” became “Harper speaks out on Iran in wake of downed jet.”

These are indeed clarifying. Many in the journalism industry would suggest the problem called for the more serious “correction,” however. As everyone involved in the story, the headlines and the associated tweets will have known, “regime change” has a very specific and very portentous meaning. The Cambridge dictionary defines it as “a complete change of government, especially one brought about by force.” Collins, if you prefer, says it’s “the transition from one political regime to another, especially through concerted political or military action.”