Welsh papers praised for ‘sensitive and mature’ coverage of Cardiff City fan’s death

The family of a Cardiff City FC fan killed outside Wembley stadium has complained to the Press Complaints Commission over national press coverage of his death – while two local titles have been praised for their ‘sensitive and mature’coverage.

A murder investigation was launched on 6 September after Michael Dye, 44, was found injured before England’s Euro 2012 qualifier against Wales and later died in hospital.

Last week Cardiff City FC made a formal complaint to the watchdog over coverage in The Sun, the Daily Mirror and the Daily Mail.

Wales Online, the website for Trinity Mirror’s South Wales Echo and Western Mail, reports that Dye’s family is among 68 complaints that have now been received by the PCC.

The PCC said they were made under clauses one (accuracy) and five (intrusion into shock and grief) of the Editors’ Code and related mainly to The Sun and the Daily Mail, Wales Online reports.

A friend of Dye’s, Annis Abraham, said: “They didn’t look at the evidence and looked to sensationalise. I think it is despicable to do something like that to someone’s family.”

Wales Online quoted a Football Supporters’ Federation statement saying:

In the immediate aftermath of the tragic incident fact, myth, and rumour swirled as events rapidly unfurled.

Sadly certain tabloid journalists ran reports that showed a lack of respect and sensitivity to Mike Dye – a family man and father of three.

The South Wales Echo and Western Mail were also highlighted by Cardiff City fans as newspapers which did not seek to sensationalise but instead reported in a sensitive and mature manner.

The Daily Mail reported that Dye wrote on a football forum that he was banned from attending matches in 1986 after a “pitch invasion and fisticuffs” at Peterborough, while The Sun reported that the victim was ‘closely associated with Cardiff City’s notorious ‘Soul Crew’ of trouble-seeking louts”.