Florida Atlantic University has been in the spotlight with several alumni appearing on the TV show “Love Island.” With all the hype around the reality dating series, the University Press slipped up and spoiled the recent finale of the American franchise for some readers.

Last month, Florida Atlantic University alumnus Nicolas Vansteenberghe and his partner were finalists on the seventh season of “Love Island USA” and finished as runners-up. I published the story about 15 minutes after the episode aired in an effort to deliver the news in a timely manner, but I moved too quickly in this case.

Based on the comments on our Instagram page, our readers were furious, and I accept full blame as editor-in-chief. As the story’s editor, I take full responsibility for jumping the gun. 

Although I added an editor’s note stating the article contained spoilers on the website and the social media caption, I failed to include a spoiler warning on the photo of the Instagram post. The headline of the social media post revealed the show’s outcome, unintentionally spoiling the episode for many.

To be transparent, I had the reporter’s article ready to publish before the finale aired, with placeholders left empty for the show’s final results. Once the show began, I skipped ahead to the end and filled in the winners. In hindsight, this publication would have been safer to wait until the full two-hour episode had finished premiering. 

We appreciate feedback on stories and will always take the time to consider how we can get better as a newsroom. If you have questions or concerns at any point, don’t hesitate to email us or send us a direct message on Instagram. You can also swing by our newsroom to chat in person, which is located in the Boca Raton Student Union, Room 214.

Michael Cook is the Editor-in-Chief for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email michael17cook@gmail.com.