The press watchdog has decided not to uphold a complaint about a newspaper comment piece on the death last year of Boyzone singer Stephen Gately. The Irish star's civil partner Andrew Cowles complained to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) about Jan Moir's article in the Daily Mail. The PCC received a record 25,000 complaints about the article, which was perceived by many to be homophobic.
It recognised there were flaws in the article but the price of freedom of expression was that columnists said things which other people might find offensive or inappropriate.
The article was clearly wrong and full of hatred. It highlighted the incompetence of the Daily Mail and it's bigoted views. Draw your own conclusions from knowing that the head of the Press Complaints Commission is also the Daily Mail editor.
It seems that the press can say what it wants and get away with it and any apology it has to give is hidden well away inside the newspaper. This whole episode stinks.
Andrew Gilliver from the Lesbian and Gay Foundation does make a good point: "What's really important about this is the public have said we don't like this, we're not happy with reading this kind of stuff, it isn't what we want to read about people," he said.
Those who buy the Daily Mail should rethink their decision - though they are probably beyond redemption.
The P.C.C. has been a laugh since its inception. With their pathetic track record by supporting anti-gay prejudice right down the years, nobody can have been surprised at this verdict. As for their 'price of freedom' to say what is 'offensive or inappropriate', well, we're all waiting for an anti-Islam rant, aren't we? However must say I've always been surprised at the number of gays who actually buy - i.e.subsidise - the Mail, this rag, their own OPPRESSOR, because of the bitchy celebrity gossip they like to read. With 'friends' like that who needs (even more) enemies?
ReplyDeleteThe PCC are pretty useless, many times people who have been slandered have gone over their heads and used the courts to punish the papers for their heinous crimes of libel and utterly besmirching someone's name with scant evidence and a whole heap of spite.
ReplyDeleteMy old bastard of a Head Master was on the PCC and the Church of England Synod.
ReplyDeleteIt was an all-boys school so, of course, he was one of the people who voted to keep women out of the priesthood until the bitter end.
I can't say I'm in favour of the government legislating to cut the freedom of the press (Nazi book burning et al) but we really should be doing something to make them more accountable.
Thanks for running this Stephen - I won't go near the Daily Mail so I might well have missed it.