The Times finally figures out how the Barclays Center fills up the arena block

Check out the image at right of the Barclays Center arena and arena block, from this interactive graphic published Sept. 28 in the New York Times.

It was created with the help of the arena architects, and it seems quite accurate, though it doesn't explain that the four plots of land around the arena are supposed to be home to four towers, three of them residential.

What's wrong with the oval?

Then consider image below left, from a 4/17/12 article, which misleadingly suggested that the arena extends barely halfway between Fifth and Sixth avenues, rather than quite close to Sixth.

Similarly, it suggested that the arena extends south from Atlantic Avenue barely past the halfway point, Pacific Street, rather than nearly to Dean Street.

As I reported last month, I took a look back at the article and saw, to my surprise, that a new map had been substituted, which omits the misleading outline of the arena. No correction was posted.

Such a stealth adjustment is called "rowback," which former Times which former Times Public Editor Daniel Okrent described in his 3/14/04 column as "a way that a newspaper can cover its butt without admitting it was ever exposed."

In other words, it's a correction without formally acknowledging a correction.