The same correction appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald.

This appears to be the offending column, but there aren’t any quotes from Ms. Coyne. The above apology is also absent.

Update Sept. 5, 2011: The good folks at Crikey have the relevant background on this (thanks, Ben!):

… Then came the clanger. Coyne told me that when she heard she had been selected for the show, she thought: ”Oh, I can eat a cream puff now or a few cream puffs and it won’t matter, in fact, it will be a good thing for the show. But then I felt guilty, so I didn’t.”

Problem is, Coyne never said the words “cream puff”. Instead, after Safe had put her notebook away, making it appear the interview was over, Coyne made a comment about looking forward to eating and checking out Sydney restaurants now she’d been selected. The other model being interviewed, Tanya Briggs, told Safe not to use the eating quote, because years ago she’d said a throwaway line about cream puffs in an interview and subsequently the main focus of the article had employed the stereotypical “fat girl eating” angle, despite the fact that she’d mainly spoken about being comfortable in her own body.

A week later, Brigg’s “cream puff” reference appeared in Safe’s article, attributed to Coyne.

Coyne’s response? “I can honestly say I never uttered those words. She was so nice when she interviewed me that I’m shocked that she would do that … I felt like ordering some cream puffs from a local Sydney bakery and sending them to Georgina.” …

A similar correction appeared by the Sydney Morning Herald, though the correction has yet to be made to the offending story.

Here’s the offending passage:

O’Brien says most of the children at Hebersham wear hand-me-down clothes and use other people’s discarded toys and equipment. Receiving books to keep is an entirely new experience for some of the students. “We want to give students that connection with books and send them on their reading journey,” O’Brien says.

A few reasons why this apology strikes me as strange: it doesn’t confirm there are “errors and misleading assertions” in the article; the apology merely notes that Szabo and Richards “believe” this to be the case. The paper then apologizes for “any errors and misleading assertions,” which suggests perhaps there weren’t any in the story.

The offending article is here, sans apology. Were errors or misleading assertions scrubbed from the piece? Or is this the version that raised the ire of Szabo and Richards?

This mistake takes on extra significance when you know that Outreach Media "exists to promote the Christian Gospel through various media channels and to assist churches and Christian groups to raise the profile of the Christian message."

Thanks, Anne!

Monday’s story ‘‘Good crims, bad crims in the Cross’’ wrongly said that the co-author of a new book, the police informant Tony, had a role in helping to frame Phuong Ngo for the murder of John Newman.

Thanks, Steve!

Paul Byrnes’s film review of Mao’s Last Dancer, published in full and extract form since October 2, took issue with the film’s dialogue, in particular quoting: ‘‘Life in China not so good. I dance better here because feet more free.’’ This was incorrect. The full quote should have read ‘‘… in China, not so easy. Tell you what to do, where to go, what can say. Maybe I can’t come back.’’ And after a pause: ‘‘You know, I must dance political ballet in China, but I dance better here, because feel more free.’’  The Herald apologises for the error.

Here’s the letter to the editor that preceded to correction.

Any dramatist will tell you what a cheap and lazy shot it is when a critic quotes a line of dialogue out of context and uses it to tarnish the work and reputation of the writer.
In his review of my film Mao’s Last Dancer (‘‘Best foot forward’’, October 3-4), Paul Byrnes has gone one step further and invented his own dialogue and then ascribed it to me, saying, ‘‘That’s a good example of how awful the dialogue gets.’’ Well, you ought to know, Paul, you wrote it!
The scene in question happens after Li Cunxin is refused permission by the Chinese Government to extend his stay in America and his mentor, Ben Stevenson, reassures him that he’ll be able to come back one day. Li then discusses it with his girlfriend (in his broken English), in my version as follows: ‘‘Ben not understand. He too much in love with China. In China, not so easy. Tell what to do, where to go, what can say. Maybe I can’t come back. (Pause.) You know, I must dance political ballet in China, but I dance better here because feel more free.’’
Paul Byrnes’s bastardised version is: ‘‘Life in China not so good. I dance better here because feet more free.’’
Shame on you. Herald readers deserve better, and so do I.
Jan Sardi
Screenwriter, Mao’s Last Dancer
Eltham (Vic)

Thanks, Steve!

From February 8, 2007, the Herald published a number of articles in print and online, including a news blog, concerning Professor Di Yerbury who had served as Vice-Chancellor of Macquarie University for more than 19 years to February 2006. Professor Yerbury has alleged that the articles depicted her as dishonestly commingling her private art collection with the University’s own art collection and failing honestly to account for her use of the University’s credit card. The Herald at no time intended to convey any such allegations against Professor Yerbury. If readers understood the articles as in any way reflecting upon her honesty and probity, the Herald withdraws those allegations and apologises for the hurt to Professor Yerbury and any damage to her reputation.

Thanks, Steve!

A caption on Thursday’s story "Dying seconds that last forever” should not have said that video of the Palestinian boy and his father had been revealed to be fake. Debate continues on the veracity of the footage.

Thanks, Steve!