Complaint
Mr Martin Long, Director of the Catholic Communications Office, complained on behalf of that office in relation to an article on Padre Pio by Liam Fay published in The Sunday Times on 27 April 2008. Mr Long complained that the article was in breach of the following Principles of the Code of Practice: 1 (Truth and Accuracy), 2 (Distinguishing Fact and Comment), 4 Respect for Rights, and 8 (Incitement to Hatred). He further complained at the newspaper’s refusal to publish a letter from him setting out the view of his office on the article, and requested the publication of a retraction and an apology.
The newspaper defended its publication of the article on the grounds that it was clearly an opinion piece and identified as such by the word “Comment” printed prominently above it. It stated that the complainant’s letter to the editor covered the same ground as other writers, and that it was the policy of The Sunday Times to give preference to letters from ordinary readers rather than to letters from official sources.
Decision
The complainant provided no evidence to support his contention that either Principle 1 or Principle 2 had been breached. Nor is there evidence that the article involved the knowing publication of matter based on malicious misrepresentation or unfounded accusations, which would be required to support a complaint about a breach of Principle 4.
The complainant’s letter, and letters printed by the newspaper the week after the article was published, are clear evidence that the article caused offence to some readers. However, when deciding whether a breach of Principle 8 has taken place, a balance has to be struck between a newspaper’s right to advocate strongly its own views, as provided for under Principle 2 of the Code of Practice, and the degree of offence that published material is intended or likely to cause to an individual or group. In this particular case the undoubted offence generated by the article in question is not of the gravity required to support a complaint under Principle 8 of the Code of Practice.
