ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Reverse ferret

Okay, sweetie. So, reverse ferret is kind of a funny phrase that journalists use when they change their minds about something. It's like when you decide you don't want pizza for dinner anymore and you want spaghetti instead.

Imagine a ferret running through a tunnel. When it gets to the end, it turns around and goes back the way it came. That's kind of what a reverse ferret is. It's when a journalist changes their mind and goes back on something they said before.

Sometimes this happens because new information comes to light and they realize they were wrong. Other times it's because they change their opinion or perspective on something. It's important for journalists to be honest and truthful with the information they share, even if it means admitting they were wrong and doing a reverse ferret.