The Edi ' - The Leveson Inquiry

For Distribution to CPs
in a similar case, a widow complained about an evening
newspaper’s coverage after her husband was killec in 8 boat
disaster One story, headlined Shattered Lives And Last Dreams,
projected the feelings of her two-year.-old son. Another -- using
information and a Picture of mother and son suoelied by the
grandparents -- revealed against her exoreseed wishes that she had
since given birth to a daughte~ The PCC, while eympathising with the
widow’s distress, felt the newspaper’s attempts to illustrate the
human consequences of tragedy were not inherently insensitive.
Affhough the widow had net wanted oublcity for the birth of her baby
But, while expressing sympathy, the Commission rejected a
cam plaint from a widow whose husband’s tragic death was reported
the same day, Before his parents knew or the facts were established
The PCC said the story, wmcn presented some details of the incident
as conjecture, was otherwise a s[reight-forwara report of the death
of a leasing oc8 figure. Th:~mh#f ,,. i-,~ ~,~,,~ e~:~ ->~ ~ ~:~ fL~
,fu
It also ruled that a newspaper that broke the news to neighbours
of the death of a toddler through meningitis did not breach the Code.
It was an important matter of public health and tsgitimata for a paper
to seek comment from local people who ware net relatives of the
child, fM~ud~ v/3~t’~y E}v@nlr,,# 3el~9F~Ph- Rep~’~ 42 f99f
Insensitive or unnecessary #~:ail (See" a~e¢~ Repo’J,~n~ Su’ct~
~eio~’.-G: A magazine that staged a mock-up of a murder scene and
published the picture -- with a headshot of the victim -- on the
ann versary of the death tramp ed through both the "sensitivity’ and
there were compef ng r gt’~e of others to speak ’ to the mud a accuracy and for rules. It as no w made t clear t h at th e p i cture f afe o I
ms e
the pub c to rece ve nformat on