Resolution Statement 18228-17 Lusted v Bournemouth Echo

Decision: Resolved - IPSO mediation

Resolution Statement 18228-17 Lusted v Bournemouth Echo

Summary of complaint

1. Joanne Lusted complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation that the Bournemouth Echo breached Clause 1 (Accuracy) and Clause 5 (Reporting Suicide) of the Editors’ Code of Practice in an article headlined “Tributes paid at inquest of 19-year-old found dead after night out with friends,” published in print on 23 June 2017. The article also appeared online.

2. The article reported on the inquest into the death of the complainant’s son.

3. The complainant said that the article did not accurately report information heard at the inquest.

4. The newspaper said it was sorry for any upset caused and apologised for any inaccuracies that may have been included in the article.

Relevant Code provisions

5. 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 accuracy, 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.

Clause 5 (Reporting suicide)*

When reporting suicide, to prevent simulative acts care should be taken to avoid excessive detail of the method used, while taking into account the media’s right to report legal proceedings.

Mediated outcome

6. The complaint was not resolved through direct correspondence between the parties. IPSO therefore began an investigation into the matter.

7. Following IPSO’s intervention, the newspaper offered to write a private letter of apology to the complainant.

8. The complainant said that this would resolve the matter to her satisfaction.

9. 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: 05/09/2017
Date complaint concluded by IPSO: 25/09/2017

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