» SubscribeMain section
-
Top story
Gordon Brown wins ruling over Sunday Telegraph's 'Murdoch rant' story
Jason Deans guardian.co.uk, Monday 7 November 2011
DATELINE: 8/11/11
Gordon Brown has won a Press Complaints Commission ruling that a Sunday Telegraph article claiming he told Rupert Murdoch in a phone conversation that he would "smash the tycoon's media empire" was inaccurate and misleading. However, although the PCC ruled that the article, published in July 2011, had breached clause one of its code of practice on accuracy, it found that the Sunday Telegraph had taken sufficient steps to remedy the former prime minister's complaint and no further action was necessary.
In the article, headlined "Inside story of Murdoch's special relationship with our politicians", an aide was quoted as saying that Brown, when still at No 10, had warned Murdoch during a telephone call in late 2009 "that he would smash the tycoon's media empire if Labour won last year's general election" and that he "told Rupert he had made his choice politically and … 'you had better win the election or we are coming after you' – or words to that effect". This was after the Murdoch-owned Sun had ditched Labour and endorsed David Cameron.
Brown provided the PCC with four on-the-record witness statements from individuals who listened to the phone call in question in full or in part and another who was briefed on it afterwards.
In its defence the Sunday Telegraph said the anecdote had come from two confidential sources it described as being part of Brown's "inner circle" – with a third source confirming its accuracy after publication. The paper added that the anecdote had not been considered controversial prior to publication.
In its ruling the PCC said it had taken into account the fact that the paper had not provided on-the-record evidence to corroborate the allegation and had not approached Brown for a comment before publication – "this latter point was crucial" in the commission's opinion.
"Although the information had been based on confidential sources, the commission took the view that the story had initially been presented as a factual statement in the copy (later attributed to an aide) and readers would not have been aware that the accuracy of the story may have been in dispute," the PCC said.
"Given the seriousness of the claim, the commission considered that the newspaper should have put the allegation to the complainant before publication, taking into account the requirements of clause 1 (i) of the code which states that newspapers must 'take care not to publish inaccurate, misleading or distorted information'," the commission added.
Although prior notification "is not an absolute requirement under the code", in this instance the PCC ruled that failure to include Brown's side of the story "had led to a breach of clause 1 of the code".
However, the PCC also noted that the Sunday Telegraph had taken a number of steps to address Brown's complaint about the article, including adding his denial to the online version and later removing it from its website, modifying the print version for later editions, publishing his denial in later coverage and offering to publish a letter or conduct an interview. The paper also offered to publish a clarification outlining Brown's position, but the two sides failed to agree on the wording.
"In all the circumstances, the commission decided that the newspaper had remedied the initial breach of the code, and there were no outstanding issues to pursue," the PCC concluded.
Last modified: Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Your comments:
» Click here to add your comment.
Comments will be subject to approval and should not be defamatory, obscene, racist, in breach of copyright, or contrary to law. The CPBF is not reponsible for any views expressed here.
Previous press complaints commission stories
Phone hacking row: PCC head Buscombe 'stepping down'
Journalists' dilemma: should access to Facebook be deleted on death?
Buscombe stutters through radio grilling over phone-hacking
Could bloggers kill the PCC?
Let's just get rid of it
Why won't the PCC act over phone hacking?
Puttnam on the PCC: 'I'd give it a year'
IFJ report on hacking row exposes weakness of UK Press Complaints Commission:
NoW accused of tapping 'amnesia'
Stephen Gately the CPBF and the PPC
Gately column complaint rejected
PCC is 'farcical', says ex-director of public prosecutions
PCC Governance Review
Wanted - your views on the PCC
IFJ to investigate role of UK press complaints body in telephone tapping controversy
MPs express anger at PCC phone hacking 'whitewash'
Making the PPC accountable - sign up now
PCC to examine Mail Gately column
PCC to investigate itself
New attempt to reform PCC
Fewer Complaints and Greater Complacency
Submission to DCMS on press regulation
Press Complaints Commission widens its remit
Frankenstein Unbound?
CPBF writes to PCC on editors' code of conduct
A Pathetic Judgement
Slow and shoddy should be PCC slogan
PCC rejects CPBF Express complaint
CPBF launches complaint against Express
CPBF calls on PCC to open the books
-
Notices
Events & Announcements
World Press Freedom Day
More reporters are currently imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Only a matter of weeks ago lawyers failed to persuade a Turkish court to release a 76-year-old journalist from a Turkish internet news station.
World Press Freedom Day on Friday May 3, 2013 is being marked in Britain by a rally to highlight the dangers facing journalists in Turkey and in this podcast, Nicholas Jones speaks to Barry White, Organiser at the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, and Sam Bamford, the TUC's policy officer for Eastern Europe and Africa about the importance of a campaign to highlight international press freedom.
The World Press Freedom Day rally is being staged by the National Union of Journalists at the NUJ head office, Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1 on Thursday May 2, 6pm-8pm.
DATELINE: 27/4/13
UK launch of EU media campaign
DATELINE: 13/3/13
The UK launch of a 'European Citizens' Initiative' calling for EU rules against concentration of media power will take place on Thursday March 21 from 11:00am – 12:30pm in Committee Room 4A at the House of Lords, London. Guest speakers will include actor and activist Hugh Grant (pictured), media consultant Claire Enders, Professor Steven Barnett, Barry McCall (President of the NUJ) and Marc Gruber (Director of the European Federation of Journalists).
A European Citizens' Initiative is an official petition, like a Downing Street petition. If it succeeds in gathering a million signatures across the EU, the Commission is obliged to respond.
This petition calls for the EU to act to protect media pluralism and press freedom.
CPBF Annual General Meeting
DATELINE: 1/3/13
Make a note in your diary
Saturday 13 July 2013 from 10.00am
NUJ HQ, 308/312 Gray's Inn Road, London WC1.
Leveson, media ownership, CPBF future work.
DOWNLOAD FREEPRESS NOW
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Download Freepress in PDF, ePub or mobi format. Issue 194 now available.
MEDIA FOR ALL CONFERENCE
DATELINE: 26/3/10
Papers from the Media for All Conference
MEDIA MANIFESTO
DATELINE: 26/3/10
The media’s job is to inform and entertain us but we rely on them too to tell us what our rulers and representatives are up to. In the run-up to the Iraq war the government used spin and disinformation in the media to create panic and mislead people. The truth is coming out now, but we need stronger, more independent media to be able to scrutinise governments and make informed choices.
-
Previous stories
Press Complaints Commission
Phone hacking row: PCC head Buscombe 'stepping down'
Journalists' dilemma: should access to Facebook be deleted on death?
Buscombe stutters through radio grilling over phone-hacking
Could bloggers kill the PCC?
Let's just get rid of it
Why won't the PCC act over phone hacking?
Puttnam on the PCC: 'I'd give it a year'
IFJ report on hacking row exposes weakness of UK Press Complaints Commission:
NoW accused of tapping 'amnesia'
Stephen Gately the CPBF and the PPC
Gately column complaint rejected
PCC is 'farcical', says ex-director of public prosecutions
PCC Governance Review
Wanted - your views on the PCC
IFJ to investigate role of UK press complaints body in telephone tapping controversy
MPs express anger at PCC phone hacking 'whitewash'
Making the PPC accountable - sign up now
PCC to examine Mail Gately column
PCC to investigate itself
New attempt to reform PCC
Fewer Complaints and Greater Complacency
Submission to DCMS on press regulation
Press Complaints Commission widens its remit
Frankenstein Unbound?
CPBF writes to PCC on editors' code of conduct
A Pathetic Judgement
Slow and shoddy should be PCC slogan
PCC rejects CPBF Express complaint
CPBF launches complaint against Express
CPBF calls on PCC to open the books
