The Press Complaints Commission has praised the standard of most newspaper reporting about issues covering Islam, after the September 11 terrorist attacks in America.

But it has issued a reminder to editors after receiving several complaints from Muslims and other groups who have been concerned about aspects of the coverage.

The Commission has underlined some of the central provisions of the Code of Practice, which needed to be applied when reporting.

It said: “Specifically, editors must make sure that material is accurate and that comment is distinguished as such; that there is no discrimination on the grounds of race or religion against a named individual; and that when disputes of fact do arise a fair opportunity to reply is given.”

The Commission had received a number of complaints about different publications, the majority of which were about comment which the complainants understandably found distasteful but was not something that could be censured under the Code.

And it felt the standard of most newspaper reporting about such issues was high – and, in most cases, sensitive to the feelings of minority groups.

The reminder came after a Daily Express reader complained that an article headlined ‘Why do I have to tolerate the rantings of bigots just because they are Moslems?’, published in the Express on November 15, contained inaccurate and discriminatory information about the Islamic faith in breach of both Clauses 1 (Accuracy) and 13 (Discrimination) of the Code of Practice.

He felt the reporter had made remarks about the behaviour and attitude of Moslems that were incorrect in their generalisation, and racist in their motivation.

The newspaper pointed out that the article, headed as comment, was clearly distinguished as the opinion of the columnist, in accordance with terms of the Code, and was therefore not in breach of Clause 1 and in reply had published an article from a member of the Moslem Council the following week.

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