French and the Irish Mail on Sunday Review
By
Friday, 6th June 2008
Filed under:
The newspaper appealed the judgement of the Press Ombudsman that the article breached Principle 2.1 (Distinguishing Fact and Comment) of the Code of Practice.
The Press Council decided to hear the appeal on the grounds that substantive issues regarding the interpretation of the Principle in question had been raised. The appeal was heard at the Press Council’s meeting on 6 June 2008.
The article contained statements on the circumstances of Ms Katie French’s death which were attributed to no source whatsoever and presented as fact at a time when no official confirmation of death existed. The Press Council concluded a clear breach of Principle 2.1 of the Code of Practice and upheld the decision of the Press Ombudsman.