McCafferty and the Donegal Democrat

The Press Ombudsman has decided not to uphold a complaint made by Ms Patricia McCafferty that an article published in the Donegal Democrat on 9 September 2010 breached Principles 1 (Truth and Accuracy) and 2 (Distinguishing Fact and Comment) of the Code of Practice for Newspapers and Magazines.

The article under complaint reported on a monthly meeting of Bundoran Town Council, which it said was halted after it was claimed that a member of the public was recording proceedings.

Ms McCafferty complained under Principle 1 that a number of statements in the article were inaccurate. She also complained under Principle 2 that the article failed to report that it was the media that named an individual to the Councillors.

The newspaper provided uncontested and corroborated evidence that the material it published in its article was factually correct. In these circumstances, the complaints about the article under Principle 1 are not upheld.

There was no evidence that the statement complained about under Principle 2 breached this Principle of the Code, and this complaint is therefore also not upheld.

11 March 2011