Resolution Statement 07779-19 Wallace v Echo (Basildon)
Summary of Complaint
1. Russell Wallace complained to the Independent Press
Standards Organisation that Echo (Basildon) breached Clause1 (Accuracy), and Clause
4 (Intrusion into Grief or shock) of the Editors' Code of Practice in an
article headlined "Inquest opens into death of man, 31" published on
1 October 2019.
2. The article reported on the opening of an inquest. It
reported that a coroner's officer said that a man, the complainant's son, had
been declared deceased at his home and that "a note had been left".
The article then reported the comments of the Senior Coroner, who said “I will
need a copy of the post mortem examination, and I will also expect a copy of
the note that was discovered."
3. The article also appeared online but was removed
following receipt of the complaint.
4. The complainant, the father of the deceased, said that
the article was inaccurate. He said that the article had twice referred to a
note being left; which after consulting the coroner's office was confirmed not
to be the case. He said the police statement did not say that any note had been
found and therefore the article had inaccurately reported that his son had left
a suicide note.
5. The complainant said that publication of the inaccurate
material was insensitive and had caused considerable grief and upset for the
family. The family was not aware of this information prior to reading the
article.
6. The publication said that its reporter believed the note
was mentioned at the inquest but after receiving the complaint accepted this
was not the case and offered to publish a clarification.
7. The complainant said that removing the online article and
publishing a clarification would not adequately address the issue of the note.
The publication's offer was not sufficient to resolve the matter, given the
distress caused by the article's publication.
Relevant Code Provisions
8. Clause 1 (Accuracy)
i) The Press must take care not to publish inaccurate,
misleading or distorted information or images, including headlines not
supported by the text.
ii) A significant inaccuracy, misleading statement or
distortion must be corrected, promptly and with due prominence, and – where
appropriate – an apology published. In cases involving IPSO, due prominence
should be as required by the regulator.
iii) A fair opportunity to reply to significant inaccuracies
should be given, when reasonably called for.
iv) The Press, while free to editorialise and campaign, must
distinguish clearly between comment, conjecture and fact.
v) A publication must report fairly and accurately the
outcome of an action for defamation to which it has been a party, unless an
agreed settlement states otherwise, or an agreed statement is published.
9. Clause 4 (Intrusion into grief or shock)
In cases involving personal grief or shock, enquiries and
approaches must be made with sympathy and discretion and publication handled
sensitively. These provisions should not restrict the right to report legal
proceedings.
Mediated Outcome
10. The complaint was not resolved through direct
correspondence between the parties. IPSO therefore began an investigation into
the matter.
11. Upon further review, the publication accepted that the
article contained a significant inaccuracy and apologised for the distress
caused by its publication. It said that the initial mention of a note by the
Coroner’s Officer was not reflected in the reporter's shorthand notes and the
reporter had then mistaken a note the coroner wanted to see, for a note left by
the deceased.
12. The publication agreed to publish an apology on page two
in both the Southend and Basildon editions of the newspaper. It offered the
following wording:
"Following an article which appeared on page 2 of the
1-10-19 edition of the Echo regarding the death of Tom Wallace we wish to make
the following statement. The Echo now accepts there was serious inaccuracy in
its content and apologise unreservedly to Tom Wallace’s family. We wrongly
implied Tom, 31, had left a suicide note. This was not the case. This caused
unnecessary pain and anguish to Russell, Deborah, Leah, Flora, other family
members and close friends who were grieving over the sad loss of Tom. The Echo
have now worked with Russell and Deborah on a tribute to Tom. As part of this
we have made £100 donation to Trust Links that Tom worked for as a support
worker. We will also be writing to the Essex Coroner’s Office to inform the
office how we have implemented and reaffirmed our covering of inquests to
ensure accurate, compassionate and sensitive coverage to families who suffer
such tragic losses."
13. The publication also offered to make a £100 donation to
Trust Links, the charity the complainant's son worked for as a support worker.
The publication also said that it would collaborate with the charity and the
complainant to publish three features on the charity and the work it does for
vulnerable people in the local community.
14. The publication also sent a letter to the coroner
outlining the internal measures it would take to ensure that inquests were
handled sensitively and accurately in the future, including training and advice
for staff members.
15. The complainant said that the aforementioned measures
were sufficient to resolve the matter.
16. As the complaint was successfully mediated, the
Complaints Committee did not make a determination as to whether there had been
any breach of the Code.
Date complaint received: 01/10/2019
Date complaint concluded by IPSO: 01/01/2020