Latest resolved complaints dealt with by the PCC during May 2002

The majority of complaints made to the Press Complaints Commission, which raise a possible breach of the Code of Practice, are resolved directly between the Commission’s staff, editors and complainants.

These are either settled to the express satisfaction of the complainant following some remedial action by the editor or are not pursued by complainants following an explanation or other response from the publication.

Listed here are summaries of complaints involving the regional press which fall into the first category.

Evening Standard
Alex Folkes, press and campaigns officer of the Electoral Reform Society, complained that an article had misquoted his comments on the piloting of a postal voting scheme in Hackney’s local government elections. (Clause: 1)
Resolution: The newspaper published a letter from the complainant.

Western Mail
Tim Hartley, head of news for the Welsh Assembly Government, complained that the newspaper had inaccurately suggested that a minister had directly contacted a consultant over the telephone in order to speed up the treatment of one of her constituents.
(Clause: 1)
Resolution: Following the publication of a letter from the minister, the newspaper published a clarification on the subject.

Chad
Mr and Mrs Jamson of Pleasley complained that an article about a local lottery winner included a photo of their home, instead of the newly made millionaire’s. (Clause: 1)
Resolution: The newspaper apologised personally to Mr and Mrs Jamson and then published an apology with a clarification.

The Herald
ArmorGroup Services Ltd of London SW1 complained that an article headlined ‘Guns for hiring and firing’ had inaccurately claimed that the complainant supplied ‘ready-made combat teams to fight someone else’s local war’. (Clause: 1)
Resolution: The newspaper published a clarification confirming that the complainant’s companies do not take part in offensive military operations.

Southend Evening Echo
Peter Walker of Southend-on-Sea complained that a newspaper article did not reflect the position of many local people, that a road-widening scheme would encroach on parkland. The piece also did not include a full account of his own perspective on the matter, as established in a press release. (Clause: 1)
Resolution: The newspaper published a follow-up article which clarified that the precise area of the park was in dispute, and included further details from the complainant’s press release.

Complaints from April

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