The Press Complaints Commission (PCC) has censured the Scottish Daily Mail for its harassment of the parent of a student demonstrator.
The student had been one of many protesting over tuition fees in London when things got out of hand and there were violent clashes with police. Various photographs emerged including one where the student was seen to attempt to get hold of a police officer's hat. The Scottish Mail ran various stories including two that featured the student in question. Around the same time it sent a reporter to try and get the family's comment on their son's activities but the family made it clear that they did not wish to comment and wanted to be left alone.
The paper tried to suggest that its attempts at questioning the family - four times in a 24 hour period - were justified in the 'public interest' but the PCC concluded that the persistence in seeking to question against their will someone "not at the centre of the story, and against whom no allegations of impropriety had been made" did amount to harassment and breached clause 4 of the PCC Code
Full adjudication HERE
1 comment:
This is gorgeous!
Post a Comment