PCC censures two papers for running an inaccurate story

This article is more than 7 years old

The Press Complaints Commission has upheld a complaint made against two free weeklies for running an inaccurate story.

Rebecca Morris complained about articles in the Stourbridge News and Halesowen News, both headlined "Model pix cop has quit force", which stated that she was "carving out a second career as a motor show promotions model."

That implied that she had been paid for appearing in what the papers called "saucy half-naked modelling pictures" on Facebook.

But she had not been paid for the photographs, which had been taken as part of a hobby. She also considered that the article suggested, inaccurately, that she had left her job as a police community support officer after reports of her modelling activities.

Following publication of the story on 31 May this year, she complained to the papers, which took 45 days to respond. They stated that the article had been based on an agency report and denied that it was inaccurate.

They said they did not accept that the articles had suggested that Morris had left her job because of the previous press coverage of the photographs. And they maintained that she had promoted herself as a model seeking paid employment.

The PCC, in upholding Morris's complaint, said the papers were guilty of breaching the clause in the editors' code of practice about accuracy.

In its adjudication, the commission criticised the papers for the six-week delay in replying and for standing by their story. They had not provided evidence to corroborate the disputed claims, including most substantively that the complainant had been "carving out a second career" as a model.

The PCC said it was "deeply concerned by the newspaper's handling of the complaint."

It pointed out that the code makes it clear that editors must "co-operate swiftly with the PCC in the resolution of complaints" and further that they should take care to ensure that the code's terms are "observed rigorously by all editorial staff and external contributors".

The commission emphasised that this includes agency reporters who supply material to subscribing publications. It further noted that, after issuing its decision, it would seek confirmation that the papers understood their obligation under the code to assist the commission's inquiries promptly and fully.

The papers, published by Newsquest/Gannett, are distributed free. The Stourbridge title's average distribution is 48,000 while the Halesowen News gives away 35,000 copies a week.

Footnote: At the time of my writing both newspaper websites are carrying the offending stories without any mention of the PCC's adjudication.