CNNMoney pulls back from its H-P/dancers story

Arik Hesseldahl of All Things D writes that CNNMoney.com has basically retraced a story about Hewlett-Packard that stated the computer company had hired dancers for $20,000 to encourage its workers to be creative.

Hesseldahl writes, “The extent of HP’s relationship with the dance troupe appears to be that it was invited to dance at the Boise campus on a day when local charitable groups — the Trey McIntyre Project is a not-for-profit organization — solicit contributions from employees.

“HP complained to CNNMoney, which has since altered the story considerably. A headline that first read, ‘Why Hewlett-Packard is hiring dancers’ now reads ‘Dance troupe markets creativity to cube-dwellers,’ and is accompanied by a lengthy correction note. I asked CNNMoney tech editor Stacy Cowley for a comment, and she basically pointed me to the editor’s note that’s now topping the story.

“It reads:

‘An earlier version of this story mischaracterized the relationship between Hewlett-Packard and the Trey McIntyre Project. The dance troupe has performed at HP’s Boise office several times as part of a company event showcasing the area’s artistic organizations and charities, but HP has not hired or paid TMP for its creative services. The text of this article has been updated and corrected. CNNMoney regrets the error.’

“I also reached out to Cheryl Strauss Einhorn, the writer of the piece, and haven’t yet heard back.”

Read more here.