Aren't we just great?
You have to laugh, somewhat sadly at the Press Complaints Commission bigging itself up because the Evening Standard apologised within 36 hours of its completely inaccurate front page story claiming that the Duke of Edinburgh had prostate cancer:
On the contrary, it reveals the clear advantages of going to the PCC if you happen to be a member of the royal family and if the story is demonstratively untrue. Prince Philip was hardly likely to sue, doubtless his doctors could quickly be prevailed upon to show that the story was false, and the paper therefore had no option but to apologise profusely and quickly. It's more down to the fuss that Buckingham Palace made as soon as the paper was published and the resultant publicity than anything to do with the wonderful nature of the PCC.
If, on the other hand, the story had been about someone with no money or without fame, where the person could not instantly prove that report was completely inaccurate and where there was no publicity whatsoever, the PCC would have probably done nothing whatsoever about it, or months would have passed before even the slightest error was admitted on the newspaper's part. It's such a shame we can't all be members of the royal family, isn't it?
Related:
Enemies of Reason - Oops we did it again
This complaint reveals the clear advantages of coming to the PCC with complaints of privacy intrusion. The process has been quick: the final settlement was negotiated less than 36 hours after the original complaint was made. In contrast with some legal actions, it has involved no further private details – which in this case would have related to Prince Philip’s health – being released into the public domain. The apology has been prominent and proportionate. And the PCC costs nothing to use. The article under complaint has been removed from the newspaper’s website and replaced with the text of the apology, which appears on the homepage and then will be archived permanently.
On the contrary, it reveals the clear advantages of going to the PCC if you happen to be a member of the royal family and if the story is demonstratively untrue. Prince Philip was hardly likely to sue, doubtless his doctors could quickly be prevailed upon to show that the story was false, and the paper therefore had no option but to apologise profusely and quickly. It's more down to the fuss that Buckingham Palace made as soon as the paper was published and the resultant publicity than anything to do with the wonderful nature of the PCC.
If, on the other hand, the story had been about someone with no money or without fame, where the person could not instantly prove that report was completely inaccurate and where there was no publicity whatsoever, the PCC would have probably done nothing whatsoever about it, or months would have passed before even the slightest error was admitted on the newspaper's part. It's such a shame we can't all be members of the royal family, isn't it?
Related:
Enemies of Reason - Oops we did it again
Labels: abuses by tabloids, broken society bullshit, Evening Standard, journalism, modesty, Press Complaints Commission, royal family
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