An editor has hit back at a council boss who questioned his newspaper’s trustworthiness in a public meeting.

Rodney Edwards, editor of the Enniskillen-based Impartial Reporter, has criticised Fermanagh and Omagh District Council chief executive Alison McCullagh over remarks she made about the paper.

In a council meeting held earlier this month, Ms McCullagh said the Reporter was “not necessarily” publishing “trusted sources of information”.

She also made reference to an Independent Press Standards Organisation complaint by the council, which was upheld against the paper last year. Her comments occurred in a discussion about proposals for the Fermanagh Lakeland Forum leisure centre.

Ms McCullagh told the meeting: “Maybe I’ll put it this way, a basic principle in emergency management is that you deal with trusted sources of information.

“So, the trusted sources of information in relation to Fermanagh Lakeland Forum or indeed anything in relation to the Council are not necessarily in a weekly newspaper that has been found to be in breach of the editorial code in its reporting of this council.”

She added: “Any trusted information source that you need, the information will be provided to members and members will be able to form their own opinion.”

Rodney, pictured, responded by publishing an open letter to Ms McCullagh in which he pointed out that the IPSO breach she referenced stemmed from an inaccuracy in an opinion piece, not a news report, while the watchdog had found the paper had taken appropriate corrective actions.

Rodney wrote: “The nature of the issue and the fact that it was promptly rectified were explicitly acknowledged by IPSO.

“To state or imply that The Impartial Reporter is not a trusted source based on this incident is disingenuous.”

He added: “A free and fearless press is essential for accountability, transparency, and the public good, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to these values.”

Rodney concluded by describing the remarks as “troubling and unnecessary”, urging Ms McCullagh to retract them.