There was an interesting correction in The Sydney Morning Herald this morning, arising from an opinion piece published in the paper last week by David Marr that lambasted Sydney’s shock jocks – 2GB’s Alan Jones in particular – for their role in the Cronulla race riots:

In “One-way radio plays by its own rules” (last Tuesday), Alan Jones was quoted calling for “A rally, a street march, call it what you will. A community show of force.” Those words were in fact used by Steve Price of 2UE.

Crikey called the former Media Watch host to ask what happened.

“I made a mistake,” said Marr this morning, explaining that he had transcribed extensive tracts from the Jones and Price shows and had simply attributed the Price comment incorrectly. Marr wasn’t compelled to make the mea culpa – “I discovered (the mistake) on the weekend and I volunteered it to the editor,” he said this morning. Marr and the editor then decided to publish a correction.

If only everyone in the print media was this keen to correct mistakes.