The Washington Post recently issued a significant correction to a column by Jennifer Rubin that used flawed census data to criticize Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Rubin's piece originally stated that more people moved out of Florida than into it in 2021, citing a Business Insider article. However, this information was incorrect; the Business Insider piece had mistakenly transposed the inflow and outflow figures. The actual census data reveals that Florida experienced a net population gain, with more people moving in than any other state that year.

Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin cited incorrect facts about Florida residents. ((Photo by: William B. Plowman/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty Images))

The Post's correction acknowledged that Rubin's column misrepresented the migration data. The corrected version now reflects the accurate information, stating that Florida had the highest net inflow of residents in 2021. This correction came after Business Insider itself corrected its initial report following criticism from members of Governor DeSantis's team. The original Business Insider article had erroneously claimed that Florida had a net population loss, even misrepresenting the specific figures.

Migration numbers on Florida (Twitter)

Business Insider subsequently amended its article, acknowledging the error and correcting the migration figures for Florida. The Washington Post's reliance on the flawed data drew considerable criticism, particularly given that Business Insider had already issued a correction. Commentators on social media questioned the Post's editorial process, highlighting the importance of fact-checking and accuracy in reporting.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gives remarks at Moms for Liberty's Joyful Warriors National Summit. (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins)

In addition to issuing the correction, the Post removed Rubin's assertions about Florida having the highest outbound migration. The Washington Post has not yet commented publicly on the incident.