False Duquesne tuition cuts reported

Several national news outlets issued false reports Tuesday morning stating Duquesne intends to reduce its tuition by 50 percent.

At about 7 a.m. Tuesday morning NBC/MSNBC and ABC reported false information regarding a planned tuition cut on their websites. The MSNBC report "Six Private Colleges Cut Tuition" inaccurately stated that "Duquesne University in Pittsburgh is cutting its tuition by 50 percent."

Other news sources, including NBC 10 Philadelphia, WBAL Baltimore and KPRC Houston also ran the false MSNBC report Tuesday. The report stated that school officials said the reasoning behind the cut would be to "attract more students from middle-class families."

After being contacted by representatives in Duquesne's public affairs office, NBC/MSNBC and ABC have since edited or removed the false reports from their websites, according to Duquesne spokeswoman Rose Ravasio.

But the false NBC 10, WBAL and KPRC reports remain online.

Ravasio said there is "no way" for the University to know how many sources reported the inaccurate information.

An Aug. 25, 2011, Duke article "Tuition cut for education majors" accurately reported that tuition for incoming and qualifying education majors will be cut by 50 percent in the form of a $14,000 grant for each new freshman in the fall 2012 semester.

Duquesne public affairs Tuesday afternoon began contacting the news outlets who issued false reports to request that they publish retractions. Public affairs sent an e-mail containing accurate information to NBC/MSNBC and ABC Tuesday afternoon.

The University reported accurate coverage of the incoming freshmen education major's tuition cut on www.times.duq.edu, www.newsroom.duq.edu and the DU Daily newsletter Wednesday morning, Ravasio said.

"We've taken corrective action to have the stations change the information to the correct information," Ravasio said.